tr.v., -tained, -tain·ing, -tains.

1. 1. To have within; hold.
   2. To be capable of holding.
2. To have as component parts; include or comprise: The album contains many memorable songs.
3. 1. To hold or keep within limits; restrain: I could hardly contain my curiosity.
   2. To halt the spread or development of; check: Science sought an effective method of containing the disease.
4. To check the expansion or influence of (a hostile power or ideology) by containment.
5. 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.

verb

1. To be filled by: have, hold. See include/exclude.
2. To have the room or capacity for: accommodate, hold. See full/empty/capacity.
3. To have as a part: comprehend, comprise, embody, embrace, encompass, have, include, involve, subsume, take in. See include/exclude.
4. To bring one's emotions under control: collect, compose, control, cool, simmer down. Idioms: cool it. See restraint/unrestraint.

v

Definition: include, hold
Antonyms: exclude

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(DOD) To stop, hold, or surround the forces of the enemy or to cause the enemy to center activity on a given front and to prevent the withdrawal of any part of the enemy's forces for use elsewhere.

IN BRIEF: To hold or enclose.

What does that big box contain?

Common misspelling(s) of contains

• countains
• containes

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - indeholde, dæmme op for, styre, beherske, være delelig med

idioms:

• contain oneself    beherske sig

Nederlands (Dutch)
bevatten, als inhoud hebben, inperken/ beheersen, restloos deelbaar zijn door

Français (French)
v. tr. - contenir, comporter, maîtriser, enrayer, limiter, canaliser (grève), endiguer (rivière), retenir (inondation), contrôler (sentiments), (Mil) contenir (offensive), (Math) être un multiple de

idioms:

• contain oneself    se maîtriser, se contenir

Deutsch (German)
v. - enthalten, fassen, unterdrücken

idioms:

• contain oneself    an sich halten, sich beherrschen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - περιέχω, εμπεριέχω, διατηρώ εντός ορίων, αναχαιτίζω, συγκρατώ

idioms:

• contain oneself    συγκρατούμαι, κρατιέμαι

Italiano (Italian)
contenere

idioms:

• contain oneself    controllarsi

Português (Portuguese)
v. - conter, encerrar

idioms:

• contain oneself    comporte-se

Русский (Russian)
содержать, сдерживать

idioms:

• contain oneself    держать себя в руках

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - contener, abarcar, abrazar, incluir, frenar, refrenar, retener

idioms:

• contain oneself    dominarse, contenerse, aguantarse

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - innehålla, vara jämnt delbar med, behärska, hålla (mil.)

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
包含, 容忍, 容纳

idioms:

• contain oneself    克制自己

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 包含, 容忍, 容納

idioms:

• contain oneself    克制自己

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 포함하다, 억제하다

idioms:

• contain oneself    억제하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 含む, 収容能力がある, …で割り切れる, 抑える, 等しい

idioms:

• contain oneself    自分を抑える

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) شمل, اشتمل على, ضم, تضمن, احتوى, حصر, حجز, منع, سد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הכיל, כלל, עצר בעד, הבליג, התאפק, ריסן, התחלק‬

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