continent

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒntɪnənt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑntɪnənt/, /ˈkɑntɪnɛnt/

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Borrowed from Latin continēntem, noun use of present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

continent (plural continents)

1. Each of the main continuous land-masses on the earth's surface, now generally regarded as seven in number, including their related islands, continental shelves etc.
2. (obsolete in general sense) A large contiguous landmass considered independent of its islands, peninsulas etc. Specifically, the Old World continent of Europe–Asia–Africa. See the Continent.
   • 1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: Printed by A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, OCLC 55189476; republished as Geoffrey Keynes, John Sparrow, editor, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions: […], Cambridge: At the University Press, 1923, OCLC 459265555, lines 2–3, page 98:

     No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […]

3. (obsolete) Land (as opposed to the water).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:

     The carkas with the streame was carried downe, / But th'head fell backeward on the continent.

• Africa
• America
• Antarctica
• Asia
• Australia
• Europe
• Eurasia
• Gondwana
• Laurasia
• North America
• Oceania
• Pangaea
• South America

• the Continent
• continental
• microcontinent
• supercontinent
• cuntinent
• ur-continent

• (continents) continent; Africa, America (North America, South America), Antarctica, Asia, Europe, Oceania ^{(Category: en:Continents)}

From Middle English contynent, from Old French continent, from Latin continentem (“continuous; holding together”), present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

continent (comparative more continent, superlative most continent)

1. Exercising self-restraint; controlled, temperate with respect to one's bodily needs or passions, especially sex, urination and/or defecation.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i]:

     Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower.

   • 1926, T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, New York: Anchor (1991), p. 219:

     Their strength was the strength of men geographically beyond temptation: the poverty of Arabia made them simple, continent, enduring.

   • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin 2010, p. 119:

     A celibate himself, he was of the opinion that marriage was something of a concession to human frailty, to save from fornication those who could not be continent, so it was better to marry than to burn with lust.

2. Not interrupted; connected; continuous.

   a continent fever

   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i:

     Affrike and Europe bordering on your land,
     And continent to your Dominions: […]

   • 1843, John McIntosh, The Origin of the North American Indians

     The northeast part of Asia is, if not continent with the west side of America, yet certainly it is the least disjoined by sea of all that coast.

3. (obsolete) Serving to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing.
   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, OCLC 61366361; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], OCLC 1154977408, [Act I, scene i]:

     There did I ſee that low ſpirited Swaine, [...] hight Coſtard, (Clow[ne]. O mee) ſorted and conſorted contrary to thy eſtabliſhed proclaymed Edict and continent Cannon; Which with, o with, but with this I paſſion to ſay wherewith: / Clo[wne]. With a Wench.

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower.

• incontinent

From Latin continēns.

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /kon.tiˈnent/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /kun.tiˈnen/

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continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

• continental

• (continents) continent; Àfrica,‎ Amèrica,‎ Amèrica del Nord/‎Nord-amèrica,‎ Amèrica del Sud/‎Sud-amèrica,‎ Antàrtida,‎ Àsia,‎ Europa,‎ Oceania ^{(Category: ca:Continents) [edit]}

• “continent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “continent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “continent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “continent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɔn.tiˈnɛnt/

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  (file)

• Hyphenation: con‧ti‧nent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Borrowed from French continent, from Latin continēns.

continent n (plural continenten)

1. continent (landmass)

• werelddeel

• subcontinent

• → Indonesian: kontinen

Ultimately from Latin continēns. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

continent (not comparable)

1. (chiefly medicine) continent
2. (obsolete) continent, morally restrained

• incontinent

Borrowed from Latin continens, continentem.

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.ti.nɑ̃/

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continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

• continental
• sous-continent

• contenir

• Antillean Creole: kontinan
• Haitian Creole: kontinan
• → Romanian: continent

• “continent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

continent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of contineō

continent m (feminine singular continente, masculine plural continens, feminine plural continentes)

1. continent (exercising restraint)

   Antonym: incontinent

From Latin continēns.

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continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

• continental

Borrowed from Latin continens and/or from French continent.

continent n (plural continente)

1. continent

• continental
• conține