v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Contained p. pr. & vb. n. Containing. ] [ OE. contenen, conteinen, F. contenir, fr. L. continere, -tentum; con- + tenere to hold. See Tenable, and cf. Countenance. ] 1. To hold within fixed limits; to comprise; to include; to inclose; to hold. [ 1913 Webster ]

Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can not contain thee; how much less this house! 2 Chron. vi. 18. [ 1913 Webster ]

When that this body did contain a spirit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

What thy stores contain bring forth. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To have capacity for; to be able to hold; to hold; to be equivalent to; as, a bushel contains four pecks. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds. [ Obs., exept as used reflexively. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The king's person contains the unruly people from evil occasions. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fear not, my lord: we can contain ourselves. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity. [ 1913 Webster ]

But if they can not contain, let them marry. 1 Cor. vii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being contained or comprised. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A container. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, contains; particularly, an artifactual object that is designed to contain some fluid or solid material, object or objects, especially for convenience in transporting the contained objects. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. a large metallic box designed to hold many smaller boxes or packages, and used for convenience in loading and unloading large quantities of freight, such as on ships, trains, or airplanes. [ PJC ]

n. the quantity that a container will hold. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. placed and transported in a container{ 2 }. [ PJC ]

n. a ship designed to hold containerized cargoes. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. That which is contained; the extent; the substance. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The containment of a rich man's estate. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. the act of containing. [ PJC ]

3. (Diplomacy) the act or policy of restricting the influence or territorial growth of a hostile nation. The policy of containment is employed when the defeat of a hostile nation or overthrow of its government is considered impractical or too costly. [ PJC ]

4. the act of restricting some deleterious substance within a confined space, especially when such material is released unintentionally or by accident; as, containment of nuclear waste; containment of an oil spill. Also used attributively, as a containment boom. [ PJC ]

5. a structure surrounding a nuclear power plant designed to prevent release of radioactive materials into the environment in the event of an accident. [ PJC ]