CONTINENT


Meaning of CONTINENT in English

I. con ‧ ti ‧ nent 1 /ˈkɒntənənt, ˈkɒntɪnənt $ ˈkɑːn-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]

[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ continental , ↑ intercontinental , ↑ transcontinental ; noun : ↑ continent ]

[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: continens 'continuous area of land' , from continere ; ⇨ ↑ contain ]

1 . a large mass of land surrounded by sea:

the continents of Asia and Africa

2 . the Continent British English old-fashioned Western Europe, not including the British Isles

II. continent 2 BrE AmE adjective

[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: present participle of continere ; ⇨ ↑ contain ]

1 . medical able to control your ↑ bowel s and ↑ bladder OPP incontinent

2 . old-fashioned able to control your sexual desires

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.