con ‧ tain S2 W1 /kənˈteɪn/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: contenir , from Latin continere 'to hold together, hold in, contain' , from com- ( ⇨ COM- ) + tenere 'to hold' ]
1 . CONTAINER/PLACE if something such as a bag, box, or place contains something, that thing is inside it:
The thieves stole a purse containing banknotes.
The museum contains a number of original artworks.
2 . WRITING/SPEECH if a document, book, speech etc contains something, that thing is included in it:
The letter contained information about Boulestin’s legal affairs.
be contained in/within something
The proposed changes are contained in a policy statement.
3 . SUBSTANCE if a substance contains something, that thing is part of it:
This product may contain nuts.
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In everyday English, people often use different phrases to say that something contains something else:
▪ The box contained books. ➔ The box had books in it.
▪ | The essay contained a lot of mistakes. ➔ There were a lot of mistakes in the essay.
▪ | Does this dish contain any meat? ➔ Is there any meat in this dish?
4 . CONTROL FEELINGS to control strong feelings of anger, excitement etc:
Jane couldn’t contain her amusement any longer.
contain yourself
He was so excited he could hardly contain himself.
5 . STOP SOMETHING to stop something from spreading or escaping:
Doctors are struggling to contain the epidemic.
measures aimed at containing political opposition
⇨ ↑ self-contained
6 . MATHS technical to surround an area or an angle:
How big is the angle contained by these two sides?