‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; a little dart. ] (Zool.) Threadlike defensive organs, composed largely of nettling cells (cnidæ), thrown out of the mouth or special pores of certain Actiniæ when irritated. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_;, dim. &unr_; dart. ] (Zool.) Anciently, a snake, called dart snake; now, one of a genus of reptiles closely allied to the lizards. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Opposing or destroying contagion. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Aëronautics) See Cloche. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

A controversy (1886 -- 93) between Great Britain and the United States as to the right of Canadians not licensed by the United States to carry on seal fishing in the Bering Sea, over which the United States claimed jurisdiction as a mare clausum. A court of arbitration, meeting in Paris in 1893, decided against the claim of the United States, but established regulations for the preservation of the fur seal. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. the act or process of deliberately limiting the number of one's children born, especially by preventing conception. Conception may be prevented by ingesting medicines, using barriers such as condoms or spermicides during copulation, or by ligating or removing the reproductive organs.
Syn. -- birth prevention, family planning. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. (Aëronautics) A system of control in which a separate manipulation, as of a rudder, may be effected by either of two movements, in different directions, of a single lever, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ L. contabescenc, p. pr. of contabescere. ] Wasting away gradually. Darwin.

-- Con*ta*bes"cence n. [1913 Webster]

n. [ L. contactus, fr. contingere, -tactum, to touch on all sides. See Contingent. ] 1. A close union or junction of bodies; a touching or meeting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geom.) The property of two curves, or surfaces, which meet, and at the point of meeting have a common direction. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mining) The plane between two adjacent bodies of dissimilar rock. Raymond. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Electricity) A metallic conducting component of an electrical device connected to a circuit within and so situated that it may form a conducting pathway to an external power source or device when contacted by another conductor; as, the contact on a standard light bulb has the shape of a screw for easy insertion into the socket. [ PJC ]

5. A person who serves to commmunicate information to or from one group to another, whether formally or informally; as, a good Washington reporter has contacts in the White House. [ PJC ]

Contact level, a delicate level so pivoted as to tilt when two parts of a measuring apparatus come into contact with each other; -- used in precise determinations of lengths and in the accurate graduation of instruments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the act of touching physically.
Syn. -- contact. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Act of touching. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an Italian farmer. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. contagio: cf. F. contagion. See Contact. ] 1. (Med.) The transmission of a disease from one person to another, by direct or indirect contact. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term has been applied by some to the action of miasmata arising from dead animal or vegetable matter, bogs, fens, etc., but in this sense it is now abandoned. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

And will he steal out of his wholesome bed
To dare the vile contagion of the night? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which serves as a medium or agency to transmit disease; a virus produced by, or exhalation proceeding from, a diseased person, and capable of reproducing the disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act or means of communicating any influence to the mind or heart; as, the contagion of enthusiasm. “The contagion of example.” Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

When lust . . .
Lets in defilement to the inward parts,
The soul grows clotted by contagion. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Venom; poison. [ Obs. ] “I'll touch my point with this contagion.” Shak.

Syn. -- See Infection. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Affected by contagion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who believes in the contagious character of certain diseases, as of yellow fever. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. contagiosus: cf. F. contagieux. ] 1. (Med.) Communicable by contact, by a virus, or by a bodily exhalation; catching; as, a contagious disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Conveying or generating disease; pestilential; poisonous; as, contagious air. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Spreading or communicable from one to another; exciting similar emotions or conduct in others. [ 1913 Webster ]

His genius rendered his courage more contagious. Wirt. [ 1913 Webster ]

The spirit of imitation is contagious. Ames.

Syn. -- Contagious, Infectious. Although often used as synonyms, originally these words were used in very diverse senses; but, in general, a contagious disease has been considered as one which is caught from another by some near contact, by the breath, by bodily effluvia, etc.; while an infectious disease supposed some entirely different cause acting by a hidden influence, like the miasma of prison ships, of marshes, etc., infecting the system with disease. In either case, a pathogenic microorganism is the direct cause of the disease. This distinction, though not universally admitted by medical men, as to the literal meaning of the words, certainly applies to them in their figurative use. Thus we speak of the contagious influence of evil associates; their contagion of bad example, the contagion of fear, etc., when we refer to transmission by proximity or contact. On the other hand, we speak of infection by bad principles, etc., when we consider anything as diffused by some hidden influence. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

. (Med.) A disease communicable by contact with a patient suffering from it, or with some secretion of, or object touched by, such a patient. Most such diseases have already been proved to be germ diseases, and their communicability depends on the transmission of the living germs. Many germ diseases are not contagious, some special method of transmission or inoculation of the germs being required. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adv. In a contagious manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being contagious. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. ] Contagion; contagious matter. “Contagium of measles.” Tyndall. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

a. Capable of being contaminated. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Contaminated p. pr. & vb. n. Contaminating ] [ L. contaminatus, p. p. of contaminare to bring into contact, to contaminate, fr. contamen contagion, for contagmen; con- + root of tangere to touch. See Contact. ] To soil, stain, or corrupt by contact; to tarnish; to sully; to taint; to pollute; to defile. [ 1913 Webster ]

Shall we now
Contaminate our figures with base bribes? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated. Goldsmith.

Syn. -- To pollute; defile; sully; taint; tarnish; soil; stain; corrupt. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Contaminated; defiled; polluted; tainted. “Contaminate drink.” Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. containing undesired or infective microorganisms.
Syn. -- dirty, infected. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. rendered impure by addition of deleterious substances; as, had to boil the contaminated water.
Syn. -- polluted. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. 1 (Computers) damaged by inclusion of incorrect data or information not belonging; as, The file was contaminated by a buggy editor.
Syn. -- corrupted. [ PJC ]

4. appearing unethical due to a questionable source or motives; -- of money or activities; as, The fund was contaminated by a large donation from a mobster.
Syn. -- tainted. [ PJC ]

adj. spreading contamination; especially radioactive contamination. clean
Syn. -- dirty. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. causing moral or behavioral degredation. the contaminating influence of violent movies
Syn. -- corrupting. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ L. contaminatio. ] The act or process of contaminating; pollution; defilement; taint; also, that which contaminates. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending or liable to contaminate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Contangoes [ Prob. a corruption of contingent. ] 1. (Stock Exchange) The premium or interest paid by the buyer to the seller, to be allowed to defer paying for the stock purchased until the next fortnightly settlement day. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) The postponement of payment by the buyer of stock on the payment of a premium to the seller. See Backwardation. N. Biddle. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Contes /plu>. [ F. ] A short narrative or tale, esp. one dealing with surprising or marvelous events.

The conte (sic) is a tale something more than a sketch, it may be, and something less than a short story. . . . The “Canterbury Tales” are contes, most of them, if not all, and so are some of the “Tales of a Wayside Inn.” Brander Matthews. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. contegere, -tectum, to cover up. ] A covering. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. conteck, conteke, contake, perh. a corruption either of contact or contest. ] 1. Quarrel; contention; contest. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Contek with bloody knife. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Contumely; reproach. [ Obs. ] Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Contemned p. pr. & vb. n. Contemning ] [ L. contemnere, -temptum; con- + temnere to slight, despise: cf. OF. contemner. ] To view or treat with contempt, as mean and despicable; to reject with disdain; to despise; to scorn. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy pompous delicacies I contemn. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

One who contemned divine and human laws. Dryden.

Syn. -- To despise; scorn; disdain; spurn; slight; neglect; underrate; overlook. -- To Contemn, Despise, Scorn, Disdain. Contemn is the generic term, and is applied especially to objects, qualities, etc., which are deemed contemptible, and but rarely to individuals; to despise is to regard or treat as mean, unbecoming, or worthless; to scorn is stronger, expressing a quick, indignant contempt; disdain is still stronger, denoting either unwarrantable pride and haughtiness or an abhorrence of what is base. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who contemns; a despiser; a scorner. “Contemners of the gods.” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Contemptuously. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. contemperare, -temperatum; con- + temperare to temper. Cf. Contemperate. ] To modify or temper; to allay; to qualify; to moderate; to soften. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The antidotes . . . have allayed its bitterness and contempered its malignancy. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Contemper. ] To temper; to moderate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Moisten and contemperate the air. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of tempering or moderating. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Proportionate mixture or combination. “Contemperation of light and shade.” Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The condition of being tempered; proportionate mixture; temperature. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The different contemperature of the elements. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Contemplation. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. contemplans, p. pr. ] Given to contemplation; meditative. [ R. ] Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Contemplated p. pr. & vb. n. Contemplating. ] [ L. contemplatus, p. p. of contemplari to contemplate; con- + templum a space for observation marked out by the augur. See Temple. ] 1. To look at on all sides or in all its bearings; to view or consider with continued attention; to regard with deliberate care; to meditate on; to study. [ 1913 Webster ]

To love, at least contemplate and admire,
What I see excellent.
Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

We thus dilate
Our spirits to the size of that they contemplate.
Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To consider or have in view, as contingent or probable; to look forward to; to purpose; to intend. [ 1913 Webster ]

There remain some particulars to complete the information contemplated by those resolutions. A. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

If a treaty contains any stipulations which contemplate a state of future war. Kent.

Syn. -- To view; behold; study; ponder; muse; meditate on; reflect on; consider; intend; design; plan; propose; purpose. See Meditate. [ 1913 Webster ]