adj. & n.
adj. 1 of or characteristic of a continent. 2 (Continental) Brit. of, relating to, or characteristic of mainland Europe.
n. an inhabitant of mainland Europe. continental breakfast a light breakfast of coffee, rolls, etc. continental climate a climate having wide variations of temperature. continental drift Geol. the hypothesis that the continents are moving slowly over the surface of the earth on a deep-lying plastic substratum. continental quilt Brit. a duvet. continental shelf an area of relatively shallow seabed between the shore of a continent and the deeper ocean. continentally adv.