CONTINENT, a. [L.] 1. Refraining from unlawful sexual commerce, or moderate in the indulgence of lawful pleasure; chaste.2. Restrained; moderate; temperate. Have a continent forbearance.3. Opposing; restraining.4. Continuous; connected; not interrupted. The North East part of Asia, if not continent with America--A continent fever. More generally we now say a continued fever.CONTINENT, n. 1. In geography, a great extent of land, not disjoined or interrupted by a sea; a connected tract of land of great extent; as the Eastern and Western continent. It differs from an isle only in extent. New Holland may be denominated a continent. Britain is called a continent, as opposed to the isle of Anglesey.In Spenser, continent is use for ground in general.2. That which contains any thing. [Not used.]
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