Con-tāin'1, v. t.
v. t. [imp. & p. p. CONTAINED; p. pr. & vb. n. CONTAINING.] [Lat. continere, from con and tenere, to hold; Fr. contenir, Pr. contener, contenir, Sp. contener, It. contenere.]
Sense 1. To hold within fixed limits; to comprehend; to comprise.
What thy stores contain bring forth. Milton.
When that this body did contain a spirit, A kingdom for it was too small a bound. Shak.
Sense 2. To have capacity for; to be able to hold; to inclose; to hold; as, a barrel contains more than two bushels.
Sense 3. To put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine. [Obs.]
The king's person contains the unruly people from evil occasions. Spencer.
Fear not, my lord; we can contain ourselves. Shak.