4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Encratite  \En"cra*tite\,  n.  [L.  Encratitae,  pl.,  fr  Gr  ? 
  self-disciplined;  ?  in  +  ?  strength.]  (Eccl.  Hist.) 
  One  of  a  sect  in  the  2d  century  who  abstained  from  marriage, 
  wine,  and  animal  food;  --  called  also  {Continent}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Continent  \Con"ti*nent\,  a.  [L.  continens,  -entis,  prop.,  p.  pr 
  of  continere  to  hold  together,  to  repress:  cf  F.  continent. 
  See  {Contain}.] 
  1.  Serving  to  restrain  or  limit;  restraining;  opposing. 
  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  2.  Exercising  restraint  as  to  the  indulgence  of  desires  or 
  passions;  temperate;  moderate. 
 
  Have  a  continent  forbearance  till  the  speed  of  his 
  rage  goes  slower.  --Shak. 
 
  3.  Abstaining  from  sexual  intercourse;  exercising  restraint 
  upon  the  sexual  appetite;  esp.,  abstaining  from  illicit 
  sexual  intercourse;  chaste. 
 
  My  past  life 
 
  Hath  been  as  continent,  as  chaste,  as  true, 
 
  As  I  am  now  unhappy.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  Not  interrupted;  connected;  continuous;  as  a  continent 
  fever.  [Obs.] 
 
  The  northeast  part  of  Asia  is  if  not  continent  with 
  the  west  side  of  America,  yet  certainly  it  is  the 
  least  disoined  by  sea  of  all  that  coast. 
  --Berrewood. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Continent  \Con"ti*nent\,  n.  [L.  continens,  prop.,  a  holding 
  together:  cf  F.  continent.  See  {Continent},  a.] 
  1.  That  which  contains  anything  a  receptacle.  [Obs.] 
 
  The  smaller  continent  which  we  call  a  pipkin.  --Bp. 
  Kennet. 
 
  2.  One  of  the  grand  divisions  of  land  on  the  globe;  the  main 
  land;  specifically  (Phys.  Geog.),  a  large  body  of  land 
  differing  from  an  island,  not  merely  in  its  size,  but  in 
  its  structure,  which  is  that  of  a  large  basin  bordered  by 
  mountain  chains;  as  the  continent  of  North  America. 
 
  Note:  The  continents  are  now  usually  regarded  as  six  in 
  number:  North  America,  South  America,  Europe,  Asia, 
  Africa,  and  Australia.  But  other  large  bodies  of  land 
  are  also  reffered  to  as  continents;  as  the  Antarctic 
  continent;  the  continent  of  Greenland.  Europe,  Asia, 
  and  Africa  are  often  grouped  together  as  the  Eastern 
  Continent,  and  North  and  South  America  as  the  Western 
  Continent. 
 
  {The  Continent},  the  main  land  of  Europe,  as  distinguished 
  from  the  islands,  especially  from  England. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  continent 
  adj  1:  having  control  over  urination  and  defecation  [ant:  {incontinent}] 
  2:  abstaining  from  sexual  intercourse;  "celibate  priests"  [syn: 
  {celibate}] 
  n  1:  one  of  the  large  landmasses  of  the  earth;  "there  are  seven 
  continents";  "pioneers  had  to  cross  the  continent  on 
  foot" 
  2:  the  European  mainland;  "Englishmen  like  to  visit  the 
  Continent  but  they  wouldn't  like  to  live  there"  [syn:  {Continent}] 

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