contain
v.-
1 to hold inside (v.) A2 Elementaryto have something inside, like a box or a bottle.
to hold or have within; to be a container for a physical substance.
ExampleThis bottle can contain up to two litres of water.
ExampleThe ancient ceramic vessel was found to contain traces of olive oil and wine, suggesting it was used for long-distance trade.
UsageAlways transitive; requires a direct object.
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2 to include as a part (v.) B1 Intermediateto have something as a part of a whole.
to include or comprise something as a constituent part or element.
ExampleThe document contains all the information you need for the trip.
ExampleThe final report contains several recommendations for improving safety standards across the entire manufacturing sector.
UsageOften used in the passive voice in formal writing.
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3 to control feelings (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto keep a strong feeling or a situation under control.
to restrain or keep within bounds; often applied to emotions or the spread of something harmful.
ExampleShe could hardly contain her excitement when she heard the news.
ExampleEmergency services worked through the night to contain the fire before it reached the nearby residential area.
UsageCommonly used with abstract nouns like 'excitement', 'anger', or 'outbreak'.
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4 mathematical sets (v.) C1 Advanced Technical Mathto have a number or a group as a part of a larger group.
to have as an element or a subset within a mathematical set.
ExampleSet A contains all the even numbers between one and ten.
ExampleIn this proof, we must demonstrate that the larger set contains the subset of all prime integers.
UsageUsed specifically to describe the relationship between sets and their elements.
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre (“to hold or keep together, comprise, contain”), combined form of con- (“together”) + teneō (“to hold”).