Contains

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kənˈteɪnz/

Definitions

1. To have or hold within as a necessary part or element
2. To have within its scope or range as a component
3. To have or hold something as a constituent or integral part

Etymology: "Contains" is simply the third-person singular present form of "contain," so its history is that of the verb. The verb came into English in Middle English as "conteinen," borrowed from Old French "contenir," which in turn came from the Latin "continēre." That Latin verb was built from "con-," meaning "together," and "teneō," meaning "to hold," so the original sense was roughly "to hold together." The Latin root "teneō" is also the source of many familiar English words, such as "tenant," "tenure," and "tenacious," all of which share the idea of holding fast. "Contain" keeps that core notion of holding, but its focus shifted from physically gripping things together to enclosing or including them within a boundary, and eventually to the sense of having something as a part or component, which is the meaning given here.

Synonyms: holds, includes, encloses, comprises, consists

Antonyms: excludes, releases, empties, discharges, dissolves