contain
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contain
- /kənˈteɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm
Proto-Italic *kom
Proto-Italic *kom-
Latin con-
Proto-Indo-European *ten-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *tn̥eh₁yéti
Proto-Italic *tenēō
Latin teneō
Latin contineōder.
Latin continērelbor.
Old French contenirbor.
Middle English conteinen
English contain
From Middle English conteinen, borrowed from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre (“to hold or keep together, comprise, contain”), combined form of con- (“together”) + teneō (“to hold”).
verb contains · containing · contained
- To hold inside. The brown box contains three stacks of books.
- To include as a part. Most of the meals they offer contain meat.
- To put constraints upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds. I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself!
- To have as an element or subset. A group contains a unique inverse for each of its elements.
- To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity. But if they cannot contain, let them marry.
