| 释义 |
con·ti·nent
I. \ˈkänt(ə)nənt, -tənənt\ adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin continent-, continens, from present participle of continēre to hold together, repress, contain — more at contain
1. : exercising continence, specifically sexual continence : temperate, moderate, chaste
2. obsolete
a. : serving to restrain or limit : restrictive
b. : connected, continuous
< continent islands >
3. : containing or able to contain or retain
Synonyms: see sober
II. \“ sometimes -tənˌent or -təˌne-\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: in senses 1, 2, & 3, from Latin continent-, continens, present participle of continēre to contain, hold together, be continuous; in other senses, from Latin continent-, continens continuous mass of land, from continent-, continens, present participle
1. archaic
a. : whatever contains something : receptacle
b. : whatever restrains or bounds something
2. archaic : whatever is the seat or the external representative of something or represents the totality of a complex being
3. obsolete : capacity, content
4.
a. : a continuous extent or mass of land : mainland
b. obsolete : the land, the earth, or the world
5.
a. : one of the great divisions of land on the globe; specifically : a large body of land differing from an island or a peninsula in its size and in its structure, which is that of a large basin bordered by mountain chains (as No. America, So. America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica)
b. usually capitalized : the continent of Europe — used with the
< traveling on the Continent >
6. : a large segment of the earth's outer shell including a terrestrial continent and the adjacent continental shelf |