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contain

verb

  1. to have as constituent parts
  2. to keep under control
  3. to have capacity for, or capable of holding
  4. to have as contents or include within its scope
L3951 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /kənˈteɪn/

verb

Etymology: From Middle English, borrowed from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre (“to hold or keep together, comprise, contain”), combined form of con- (“together”) + teneō (“to hold”).

  1. To hold inside.

    The brown box contains three stacks of books.

    a spray bottle containing water.

  2. To include as a part.

    Most of the meals they offer contain meat.

    Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.

  3. To put constraints upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds.

    I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself!

    Fear not, my lord: we can contain ourselves.

  4. To have as an element or subset.

    A group contains a unique inverse for each of its elements.

    If that subgraph contains the vertex in question then it must be spanning.

  5. To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity.

    But if they cannot contain, let them marry.