2. The restraint which a person imposes upon his desires and passions; the act or power of refraining from indulgence of the sexual appetite, esp. from unlawful indulgence; sometimes, moderation in sexual indulgence. If they [the unmarried and widows] have not continency, let them marry. 1 Cor. vii. 9 (Rev. Ver. ). Chastity is either abstinence or continence: abstinence is that of virgins or widows; continence, that of married persons. Jer. Taylor.
3. Uninterrupted course; continuity. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
CONTINENT
Con"ti*nent, a. Etym: [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.
CONTINENT
Con"ti*nent, n. Etym: [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.