continent en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈkɑntɪnənt/ (General-American)
- /ˈkɑnt(ə)nənt/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈkɒntɪnənt/ (UK)
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin continens, noun use of present participle of continēre (“to contain”).
Meanings
-
One of the main contiguous landmasses, separated by water or geological features, on the surface of a planet, sometimes including its continental shelves and the islands on them.
But I should turn mine ears and hear The moanings of the homeless sea, The sound of streams that swift or slow Draw down Æonian hills, and sow The dust of continents to be; […]
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 54:
- Each of the traditional main regions into which the Earth’s land surface is divided, including both an extent of mainland and various conventionally associated islands, etc; namely, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia/Oceania, North America, South America, and Antarctica.
-
(broadly, obsolete) A large contiguous landmass as opposed to its islands, peninsulas, and so forth; mainland. Also specifically, the Old World continent of Europe–Asia–Africa: see the Continent.
No man is an Iland, intire of it ſelfe; euery man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […]
1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, pages 415–416:
- (figuratively) A large connected expanse of something in general.
- (obsolete) Any continuous tract or area of land; country, connected region.
-
(obsolete) Land (as opposed to the water), dry land.
The carkas with the streame was carried downe, / But th’head fell backeward on the continent.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- (obsolete) The body or mass of a celestial body such as the sun or moon.
- (obsolete) Container, vessel, something that holds or contains something else.
- (obsolete) Space, capacity.
-
(obsolete) The principal or essential points of something viewed collectively: sum, summary, substance.
[…] Here's the scroll, The continent and summary of my fortune.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| continents | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
the Continent · ur-continent · subcontinent · continent of stability · cuntinent · palaeocontinent · coontinent · pseudocontinent · microcontinent · continentwide · archicontinent · paleocontinent · protocontinent · continentlike · midcontinent · supercontinent · continental
Hyponyms
Pangaea · Laurentia · Meganesia · Europe · Eurasia · America · Asia · Africa · Gondwanaland · Rodinia · Australia · Laurasia · Antarctica · Gondwana · North America · Pannotia · Oceania · Zealandia · South America
Translations (181)
fo heimspartur (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hu világrész (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · wal ano biittaa (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · cy cyfandir (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · et maailmajagu (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ca continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · uz kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ka კონტინენტი (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hy մայրցամաք (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hi खंड (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kn ಖಂಡ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sk pevnina (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kk құрлық (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · gu મહાદ્વીપ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sk svetadiel (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ti ኣህጉር (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · te ఖండం (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · cs pevnina (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · acw قارَّة (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sw bara (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hi भूखंड (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ps قاره (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · nb kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ia continente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kaw wanwa (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tl kontinente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hu kontinens (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sa महाद्वीपा (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · nn kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tg қитъа (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · rsk континент (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kum континент (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mn тив (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · uk контине́нт (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · km ទ្វីប (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · eo kontinento (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ga mór-roinn (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · fi manner (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · si මහාද්වීප (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sh kontìnent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · prs قَارَّه (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · af kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tk materik (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · lus khawmualpui (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hi महादेश (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ast continente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · bg контине́нт (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ml വൻകര (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tk kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tg хушкӣ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tg континент (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ur بَرِّاَعْظَم (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kmr parzemîn (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ota قطعه (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tr kıta (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · da verdensdel (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · el ήπειρος (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · vi châu lục (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · yi וועלטטייל (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · pa ਮਹਾਂਦੀਪ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · pl kontynent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hak 大陸 /大陆 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · fi maanosa (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · be кантынэ́нт (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tg қорра (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · bn মহাদেশ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · de Erdteil (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · es continente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · be кантыне́нт (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mi tuawhenua (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kpv мувеж (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mnc ᠵᡠᠪᡴᡳ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · yi קאָנטינענט (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ka მატერიკი (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · bho महाद्वीप (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · lt kontinentas (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mi rawhaki (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · de Kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · vi đại lục (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · az qitə (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · be мацяры́к (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · am አሕጉር (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · pms continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ba ҡитға (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · as মহাদেশ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mt kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ms benua (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · fur continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sv kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · id benua (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · uk суходіл (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · eu kontinente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ru контине́нт (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ar قَارَّة (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ml ഭൂഖണ്ഡം (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ur قارَّہ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · th ทวีป (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · lo ທະວີບ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ta கண்டம் (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · oc continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · uz qitʼa (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · id kontinen (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · cmn 大陸 /大陆 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sa द्वीप (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · et manner (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hu földrész (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hsb kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ne महादेश (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · or ମହାଦେଶ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ojb gichi-aki (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · pt continente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sk kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · gcf kontinan (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · da kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kmr qite (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · bo སྐམ་ས་ཆེན་པོ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mi paparahi (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · gl continente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · wuu 大陸 /大陆 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · uk матери́к (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · yue 大陸 /大陆 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · fa-ira قارِّه (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · rue контіне́нт (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · nrf continnent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sq kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tl sanlupain (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sl celina (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · nl werelddeel (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · dsb kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ja 大陸 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · et mander (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · prs قِطْعَه (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kw brastir (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tg материк (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · an continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tt кыйтга (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · jv bawana (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ro continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · kmr qare (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ug ماتېرىك (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · fa-ira قِطْعِه (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · lv kontinents (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · nl continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sl kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · cdo 大陸 /大陆 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mk контине́нт (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · grc ἤπειρος (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sh контѝнент (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · cs světadíl (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ko 대륙 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · szl kůntynynt (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · is heimsálfa (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · he יַבֶּשֶׁת (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · gu ખંડ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mr खंड (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hy աշխարհամաս (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · min banua (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · pdt Weltdeel (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · lt žemynas (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ky материк (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mfe kontinan (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ky континент (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · gd mòr-roinn (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ru матери́к (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ug قىتئە (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · fr continent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · tl lupalop (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · sd کَنڊُ (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · hi महाद्वीप (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · vi lục địa (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · ug كونتىنېنت (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · nan-hbl 大陸 /大陆 (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · it continente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · uz materik (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · cs kontinent (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · br kevandir (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mn эх газар (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · bg матери́к (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · mwl cuntinente (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · my တိုက် (each of main land-masses on earth's surface) · vo kontinän (each of main land-masses on earth's surface)