I. kənˈtent adjective
Etymology: Middle English contente, content, from Middle French content, from Latin contentus, from past participle of continēre to contain, hold together, restrain — more at contain
1.
a. : having the desires limited to whatever one has : not disposed to complain or grumble : satisfied , contented
content with any food that God doth send — Edmund Spenser
b. : inclined by wish, ambition, or design to no greater state or further act or advance than that specified
presidents who have been content to leave the active leadership … to … Congress — A.N.Holcombe
content to wait his turn
2.
a. : gratified, pleased — archaic except in the phrase well content
b. archaic : willing , consenting
3. : assenting , agreeing — used specifically in the British House of Lords as an affirmative response in voting
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English contenten, from Middle French contenter, from content, adjective
1. : to make content : appease the desires of : satisfy
my own garden must content me this year — A.T.Quiller-Couch
2. : to limit (oneself) in requirements for satisfaction or in immediate desires or actions — used with with
he contented himself with threats
3. obsolete
a. : to satisfy the expectations or claims of : pay
b. : gratify , please
his painted skin contents the eye — Shakespeare
Synonyms: see satisfy
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: content (I)
1. : the state of being content : satisfaction , contentment ; especially : freedom from dissatisfaction, anxiety, or agitation
cuddles down … with a grunt of sleepy content — Stephen Crane
ate to his heart's content
— formerly also used in plural
2. obsolete : acquiescence without examination
the sense they humbly take upon content — Alexander Pope
3. obsolete : something that contents : a means of contentment
4.
a. : an expression of assent to a bill or motion in the British House of Lords
b. : a member of the House of Lords who votes assent
IV. ˈkänˌtent sometimes kənˈt- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from content, adjective, contained, from Latin contentus, past participle of continēre to contain — more at contain
1. usually plural
a. : something that is contained : the thing, things, or substance in a receptacle or an enclosed space
he emptied his pocket of its contents
the contents of the room
b. : the topics, ideas, facts, or statements in a book, document, or letter
a table of contents
summarize the contents of a will
2.
a. : the matter especially of a book or discourse : subject matter , substance
when a man has nothing to say … sonority without content is the smartest effect he can achieve — G.W.Johnson
b. : essential meaning or significance
if Zionism is to have content and vitality, it must impose obligation — Rose L. Halprin
trying to translate these words “human values” … into … technical terminology and to put some content into them — F.S.C.Northrop
c. : the sum of events, physical detail, and information embodied in a work of art especially as it gives rise to ideas and emotions — often contrasted with form
3. archaic
a. : capacity , size
the content of a cask
b. : quantity of space, area, or length contained in certain limits : volume
the solid content of a tree
4.
a. : the matter dealt with in a field of study : the subject matter of a discipline or an educational course
the content of a national culture
the content of sociology is inexhaustible — F.H.Giddings
b. : something that constitutes a part or element or a series of parts considered abstractly or without precise determination
content of consciousness
5. : the amount of specified material contained, present, or yielded : proportion
the sulfur content of a sample of coal
to reduce the soda content and increase the silica in glass