- 1
To hold inside.transitive
- The brown box contains three stacks of books.
- a spray bottle containing water.
- 2
To include as a part.transitive
- Most of the meals they offer contain meat.
- 3
To put constraints upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds.transitive
- I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself!
- 4
To have as an element or subset.transitive
- 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.intransitiveobsolete
- But if they cannot contain, let them marry.
syn. curb · repress · restrain · restrict · stifle
ant. exclude · omit · release · vent