tr.v., -tained, -tain·ing, -tains.
- To have within; hold.
- To be capable of holding.
- To have as component parts; include or comprise: The album contains many memorable songs.
- To hold or keep within limits; restrain: I could hardly contain my curiosity.
- To halt the spread or development of; check: Science sought an effective method of containing the disease.
- To check the expansion or influence of (a hostile power or ideology) by containment.
- Mathematics. To be exactly divisible by.
[Middle English conteinen, from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre : com-, com- + tenēre, to hold.]
containable con·tain'a·ble adj.SYNONYMS contain, hold, accommodate. These verbs mean to have within or have a capacity. Contain means to have within or have as a part or constituent: The book contains some amusing passages. Hold stresses capacity for containing: The pitcher holds two pints but contains only one. Accommodate refers to capacity for holding comfortably: The restaurant accommodates 50 customers.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
