Chapter 75

2. Holy meditation. [Obs.]

To live in prayer and contemplation. Shak.

3. The act of looking forward to an event as about to happen; expectation; the act of intending or purposing.

In contemplation of returning at an early date, he left. Reid.

To have in contemplation, to inted or purpose, or to have under consideration.

Con*tem"pla*tist (?), n. A contemplator. [R.] I. Taylor.

Con*tem"pla*tive (?), a. [F. contemplatif, L. contemplativus.] 1. Pertaining to contemplation; addicted to, or employed in, contemplation; meditative.

Fixed and contemplative their looks. Denham.

2. Having the power of contemplation; as, contemplative faculties. Ray.

Con*tem"pla*tive, n. (R. C. Ch.) A religious or either sex devoted to prayer and meditation, rather than to active works of charity.

Con*tem"pla*tive*ly, adv. With contemplation; in a contemplative manner.

Con*tem"pla*tive*ness, n. The state of being contemplative; thoughtfulness.

Con"tem*pla`tor (?; 277), n. [L.] One who contemplates. Sir T. Browne.

Con*tem`po*ra*ne"i*ty (?), n. The state of being contemporaneous.

The lines of contemporaneity in the o÷litic system. J. Philips.

Con*tem`po*ra"ne*ous (?), a. [L. contemporaneus; con- + tempus time. See Temporal, and cf. Contemporaneous.] Living, existing, or occurring at the same time; contemporary.

The great age of Jewish philosophy, that of Aben Esra, Maimonides, and Kimchi, had been contemporaneous with the later Spanish school of Arabic philosophy. Milman

-- Con*tem`po*ra"ne*ous*ness, n.

Con*tem`po*ra"ne*ous*ly, adv. At the same time with some other event.

Con*tem"po*ra*ri*ness (?), n. Existence at the same time; contemporaneousness. Howell.

Con*tem"po*ra*ry (?), a. [Pref. con- + L. temporarius of belonging to time, tempus time. See Temporal, and cf. Contemporaneous.] 1. Living, occuring, or existing, at the same time; done in, or belonging to, the same times; contemporaneous.

This king [Henry VIII.] was contemporary with the greatest monarchs of Europe. Strype.

2. Of the same age; coeval.

A grove born with himself he sees, And loves his old contemporary trees. Cowley.

Con*tem"po*ra*ry, n.; pl. Contemporaries (&?;). One who lives at the same time with another; as, Petrarch and Chaucer were contemporaries.

Con*tempt" (?; 215), n. [L. contemptus, fr. contemnere: cf. OF. contempt. See Contemn.] 1. The act of contemning or despising; the feeling with which one regards that which is esteemed mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.

Criminal contempt of public feeling. Macaulay.

Nothing, says Longinus, can be great, the contempt of which is great. Addison.

2. The state of being despised; disgrace; shame.

Contempt and begarry hangs upon thy back. Shak.

3. An act or expression denoting contempt.

Little insults and contempts. Spectator.

The contempt and anger of his lip. Shak.

4. (Law) Disobedience of the rules, orders, or process of a court of justice, or of rules or orders of a legislative body; disorderly, contemptuous, or insolent language or behavior in presence of a court, tending to disturb its proceedings, or impair the respect due to its authority.

&fist; Contempt is in some jurisdictions extended so as to include publications reflecting injuriously on a court of justice, or commenting unfairly on pending proceedings; in other jurisdictions the courts are prohibited by statute or by the constitution from thus exercising this process.

Syn. -- Disdain; scorn; derision; mockery; contumely; neglect; disregard; slight.

Con*tempt`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality of being contemptible; contemptibleness. Speed.

Con*tempt"i*ble (?), a. 1. Worthy of contempt; deserving of scorn or disdain; mean; vile; despicable. Milton.

The arguments of tyranny are ascontemptible as its force is dreadful. Burke.

2. Despised; scorned; neglected; abject. Locke.

3. Insolent; scornful; contemptuous. [Obs.]

If she should make tender of her love, 't is very possible he 'll scorn it; for the man . . . hath a contemptible spirit. Shak.

Syn. -- Despicable; abject; vile; mean; base; paltry; worthless; sorry; pitiful; scurrile. See Contemptuous. -- Contemptible, Despicable, Pitiful, Paltry. Despicable is stronger than contemptible, as despise is stronger than contemn. It implies keen disapprobation, with a mixture of anger. A man is despicable chiefly for low actions which mark his life, such as servility, baseness, or mean adulation. A man is contemptible for mean qualities which distinguish his character, especially those which show him to be weak, foolish, or worthless. Treachery is despicable, egotism is contemptible. Pitiful and paltry are applied to cases which are beneath anger, and are simply contemptible in a high degree.

Con*tempt"i*ble*ness, n. The state or quality of being contemptible, or of being despised.

Con*tempt"i*bly, adv. In a contemptible manner.

Con*temp"tu*ous (?; 135), a. Manifesting or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful; haughty; insolent; disdainful.

A proud, contemptuous behavior. Hammond.

Savage invective and contemptuous sarcasm. Macaulay.

Rome . . . entertained the most contemptuous opinion of the Jews. Atterbury.

Syn. -- Scornful; insolent; haughty; disdainful; supercilious; insulting; contumelious. -- Contemptuous, Contemptible. These words, from their similarity of sound, are sometimes erroneously interchanged, as when a person speaks of having "a very contemptible opinion of another." Contemptible is applied to that which is the object of contempt; as, contemptible conduct; acontemptible fellow. Contemptuous is applied to that which indicates contempt; as, a contemptuous look; a contemptuous remark; contemptuous treatment. A person, or whatever is personal, as an action, an expression, a feeling, an opinion, may be either contemptuous or contemptible; a thing may be contemptible, but can not be contemptuous.

Con*temp"tu*ous*ly, adv. In a contemptuous manner; with scorn or disdain; despitefully.

The apostles and most eminent Christians were poor, and used contemptuously. Jer. Taylor.

Con*temp"tu*ous*ness, n. Disposition to or manifestion of contempt; insolence; haughtiness.

Con*tend" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Contended; p. pr. & vb. n. Contending.] [OF. contendre, L. contendere, -tentum; con- + tendere to strech. See Tend.] 1. To strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight.

For never two such kingdoms did contend Without much fall of blood. Shak.

The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle. Deut. ii. 9.

In ambitious strength I did Contend against thy valor. Shak.

2. To struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend.

You sit above, and see vain men below Contend for what you only can bestow. Dryden.

3. To strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue.

The question which our author would contend for. Locke.

Many things he fiercely contended about were trivial. Dr. H. More.

Syn. -- To struggle; fight; combat; vie; strive; oppose; emulate; contest; litigate; dispute; debate.

Con*tend", v. t. To struggle for; to contest. [R.]

Carthage shall contend the world with Rome.Dryden.

Con*tend"ent (?), n. [L. contendens, p. pr.] An antagonist; a contestant. [Obs.]

In all notable changes and revolutions the contendents have been still made a prey to the third party. L'Estrange.

Con*tend"er (?), n. One who contends; a contestant.

Con*tend"ress (?), n. A female contestant. [R.]

Con*ten"e*ment (k&obreve;n*t&ebreve;n"&esl;*ment), n. [Pref. con- + tenement.] (Law) That which is held together with another thing; that which is connected with a tenement, or thing holden, as a certain quantity of land adjacent to a dwelling, and necessary to the reputable enjoyment of the dwelling; appurtenance. Burrill.

Con*tent" (k&obreve;n*t&ebreve;nt"), a. [F. content, fr. L. contentus, p. p. of contenire to hold together, restrain. See Contain.] Contained within limits; hence, having the desires limited by that which one has; not disposed to repine or grumble; satisfied; contented; at rest.

Having food and rai ment, let us be therewith content. 1 Tim. vi. 8.

Con"tent (k&obreve;n"t&ebreve;nt or k&obreve;n*t&ebreve;nt"; 277), n.; usually in pl., Contents. 1. That which is contained; the thing or things held by a receptacle or included within specified limits; as, the contents of a cask or bale or of a room; the contents of a book.

I shall prove these writings . . . authentic, and the contents true, and worthy of a divine original. Grew.

2. Power of containing; capacity; extent; size. [Obs.]

Strong ship's, of great content. Bacon.

3. (Geom.) Area or quantity of space or matter contained within certain limits; as, solid contents; superficial contents.

The geometrical content, figure, and situation of all the lands of a kingdom. Graunt.

Table of contents, or Contents, a table or list of topics in a book, showing their order and the place where they may be found: a summary.

Con*tent" (?), v. t. [F. contenter, LL. contentare, fr. L. contentus, p. p. See Content, a.] 1. To satisfy the desires of; to make easy in any situation; to appease or quiet; to gratify; to please.

Do not content yourselves with obscure and confused ideas, where clearer are to be attained. I. Watts.

Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them. Mark xv. 15.

2. To satisfy the expectations of; to pay; to requite.

Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you. Shak.

Syn. -- To satisfy; appease; please. See Satiate.

Con*tent", n. 1. Rest or quietness of the mind in one's present condition; freedom from discontent; satisfaction; contentment; moderate happiness.

Such is the fullness of my heart's content. Shak.

2. Acquiescence without examination. [Obs.]

The sense they humbly take upon content. Pope.

3. That which contents or satisfies; that which if attained would make one happy.

So will I in England work your grace's full content. Shak.

4. (Eng. House of Lords) An expression of assent to a bill or motion; an affirmative vote; also, a member who votes "Content.".

Supposing the number of "Contents" and "Not contents" strictly equal in number and consequence. Burke.

Con`ten*ta"tion (?), n. [LL. contentatio.] Content; satisfaction. [Obs.] Bacon.

Con*tent"ed (?), a. Content; easy in mind; satisfied; quiet; willing. -- Con*tent"ed*ly, adv. -- Con*tent"ed*ness, n.

Con*tent"ful (?), a. Full of content. [Obs.] Barrow.

Con*ten"tion (?), n. [F. contention, L. contentio. See Contend.] 1. A violent effort or struggle to obtain, or to resist, something; contest; strife.

I would my arms could match thee in contention. Shak.

2. Strife in words; controversy; altercation; quarrel; dispute; as, a bone of contention.

Contentions and strivings about the law. Titus iii. 9.

3. Vehemence of endeavor; eagerness; ardor; zeal.

An end . . . worthy our utmost contention to obtain. Rogers.

4. A point maintained in an argument, or a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion or strife; a position taken or contended for.

All men seem agreed what is to be done; the contention is how the subject is to be divided and defined. Bagehot.

This was my original contention, and I still maintain that you should abide by your former decision. Jowett.

Syn. -- Struggle; strife; contest; quarrel; combat; conflict; feud; litigation; controversy; dissension; variance; disagreement; debate; competition; emulation. -- Contention, Strife. A struggle between two parties is the idea common to these two words. Strife is a struggle for mastery; contention is a struggle for the possession of some desired object, or the accomplishment of some favorite end. Neither of the words is necessarily used in a bad sense, since there may be a generous strife or contention between two friends as to which shall incur danger or submit to sacrifices. Ordinarily, however, these words denote a struggle arising from bad passions. In that case, strife usually springs from a quarrelsome temper, and contention from, a selfish spirit which seeks its own aggrandizement, or is fearful lest others should obtain too much. Strife has more reference to the manner than to the object of a struggle, while contention takes more account of the end to be gained.

Con*ten"tious (?), a. [L. contentiosus: cf. F. contentieux.] 1. Fond of contention; given to angry debate; provoking dispute or contention; quarrelsome.

Despotic and contentious temper. Macaulay.

2. Relating to contention or strife; involving or characterized by contention. Spenser.

More cheerful, though not less contentious, regions. Brougham.

3. (Law) Contested; litigated; litigious; having power to decide controversy.

Contentious jurisdiction (Eng. Eccl. Law), jurisdiction over matters in controversy between parties, in contradistinction to voluntary jurisdiction, or that exercised upon matters not opposed or controverted.

Syn. -- Quarrelsome; pugnacious; dissentious; wrangling; litigious; perverse; peevish.

-- Con*ten"tious*ly, adv. -- Con*ten"tious*ness, n.

Con*tent"less (?), a. [Content + -less.] Discontented; dissatisfied. [R.] Shak.

Con*tent"ly, adv. In a contented manner. [Obs.]

Con*tent"ment (k&obreve;n*t&ebreve;nt"ment), n. [Cf. F. contentement. See Content, v. t.] 1. The state of being contented or satisfied; content.

Contentment without external honor is humility. Grew.

Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Tim. vi. 6.

2. The act or process of contenting or satisfying; as, the contentment of avarice is impossible.

3. Gratification; pleasure; satisfaction. [Obs.]

At Paris the prince spent one whole day to give his mind some contentment in viewing of a famous city. Sir H. Wotton.

Con*tents (? or ?; 277), n. pl. See Content, n.

Con*ter"mi*na*ble (?), a. Having the same bounds; terminating at the same time or place; conterminous.

Love and life not conterminable. Sir H. Wotton.

Con*ter"mi*nal (?), a. [LL. conterminalis.] Conterminous.

Con*ter"mi*nant (?), a. Having the same limits; ending at the same time; conterminous. Lamb.

Con*ter"mi*nate (?), a. [L. conterminare to border upon, fr. conterminus conterminous; con- + terminus border.] Having the same bounds; conterminous. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Con*ter"mi*nous (?), a. [L. conterminus. Cf. Conterminous.] Having the same bounds, or limits; bordering upon; contiguous.

This conformed so many of them as were conterminous to the colonies and garrisons, to the Roman laws. Sir M. Hale.

{ Con`ter*ra"ne*an (?), Con`ter*ra"ne*ous (?), } a. [L. conterraneus; con- + terra country.] Of or belonging to the same country. Howell.

Con*tes`ser*a"tion (?), n. [L. contesseratio, from contesserare to contract friendship by means of the tesserae (friendship tokens).] An assemblage; a collection; harmonious union. [Obs.]

That person of his [George Herbert], which afforded so unusual a contesseration of elegancies. Oley.

Con*test" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Contested; p. pr. & vb. n. Contesting.] [F. contester, fr. L. contestari to call to witness, contestari litem to introduce a lawsuit by calling witnesses, to bring an action; con- + testari to be a witness, testic witness. See Testify.] 1. To make a subject of dispute, contention, litigation, or emulation; to contend for; to call in question; to controvert; to oppose; to dispute.

The people . . . contested not what was done. Locke.

Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequenty repeated, few more contested than this. J. D. Morell.

2. To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend; as, the troops contested every inch of ground.

3. (Law) To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist; as a claim, by course of law; to controvert.

To contest an election. (Polit.) (a) To strive to be elected. (b) To dispute the declared result of an election.

Syn. -- To dispute; controvert; debate; litigate; oppose; argue; contend.

Con*test", v. i. To engage in contention, or emulation; to contend; to strive; to vie; to emulate; -- followed usually by with.

The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of contesting with it, when there are hopes of victory. Bp. Burnet.

Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove contest? Pope.

Con"test (?), n. 1. Earnest dispute; strife in argument; controversy; debate; altercation.

Leave all noisy contests, all immodest clamors and brawling language. I. Watts.

2. Earnest struggle for superiority, victory, defense, etc.; competition; emulation; strife in arms; conflict; combat; encounter.

The late battle had, in effect, been a contest between one usurper and another. Hallam.

It was fully expected that the contest there would be long and fierce. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Conflict; combat; battle; encounter; shock; struggle; dispute; altercation; debate; controvesy; difference; disagreement; strife. -- Contest, Conflict, Combat, Encounter. Contest is the broadest term, and had originally no reference to actual fighting. It was, on the contrary, a legal term signifying to call witnesses, and hence came to denote first a struggle in argument, and then a struggle for some common object between opposing parties, usually one of considerable duration, and implying successive stages or acts. Conflict denotes literally a close personal engagement, in which sense it is applied to actual fighting. It is, however, more commonly used in a figurative sense to denote strenuous or direct opposition; as, a mental conflict; conflicting interests or passions; a conflict of laws. An encounter is a direct meeting face to face. Usually it is a hostile meeting, and is then very nearly coincident with conflict; as, an encounter of opposing hosts. Sometimes it is used in a looser sense; as, "this keen encounter of our wits." Shak. Combat is commonly applied to actual fighting, but may be used figuratively in reference to a strife or words or a struggle of feeling.

Con*test"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. contestable.] Capable of being contested; debatable.

Con*test"ant (?), n. [Cf. F. contestant.] One who contests; an opponent; a litigant; a disputant; one who claims that which has been awarded to another.

Con`tes*ta"tion (?), n. [L. contestatio testimony: cf. F. contestation a contesting.] 1. The act of contesting; emulation; rivalry; strife; dispute. "Loverlike contestation." Milton.

After years spent in domestic, unsociable contestations, she found means to withdraw. Clarendon.

2. Proof by witness; attestation; testimony. [Obs.]

A solemn contestation ratified on the part of God. Barrow.

Con*test"ing*ly (?), adv. In a contending manner.

Con*tex (?), v. t. To context. [Obs.] Boyle.

Con*text" (?), a. [L. contextus, p. p. of contexere to weave, to unite; con- + texere to weave. See Text.] Knit or woven together; close; firm. [Obs.]

The coats, without, are context and callous. Derham.

Con"text (?), n. [L. contextus; cf. F. contexte .] The part or parts of something written or printed, as of Scripture, which precede or follow a text or quoted sentence, or are so intimately associated with it as to throw light upon its meaning.

According to all the light that the contexts afford. Sharp.

Con*text" (?), v. t. To knit or bind together; to unite closely. [Obs.] Feltham.

The whole world's frame, which is contexted only by commerce and contracts. R. Junius.

Con*tex"tur*al (?; 135), a. Pertaining to contexture or arrangement of parts; producing contexture; interwoven. Dr. John Smith (1666).

Con*tex"ture (?; 135), n. [Cf. F. contexture.] The arrangement and union of the constituent parts of a thing; a weaving together of parts; structural character of a thing; system; constitution; texture.

That wonderful contexture of all created beings. Dryden.

He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy than dainty. Sir H. Wotton.

Con*tex"tured (?; 135), a. Formed into texture; woven together; arranged; composed. [R.] Carlyle.

Con"ti*cent (?), a. [L. conticens, p. pr. of conticere; con- + tacere to be silent.] Silent. [R.] "The guests sit conticent." Thackeray.

Con`tig*na"tion (?), n. [L. contignatio, fr. contignare to join with beams; con- + tignum beam.] 1. The act or process of framing together, or uniting, as beams in a fabric. Burke.

2. A framework or fabric, as of beams. Sir H. Wotton.

Con*tig"u*ate (?), a. [LL. contiguatus.] Contiguous; touching. [Obs.] Holland.

Con`ti*gu"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. contiguitÚ, LL. contiguitas.] The state of being contiguous; intimate association; nearness; proximity.

The convicinity and contiguity of the two parishes. T. Warton.

Con*tig"u*ous (?), a. [L. contiguus; akin to contigere to touch on all sides. See Contingent.] In actual contact; touching; also, adjacent; near; neighboring; adjoining.

The two halves of the paper did not appear fully divided . . . but seemed contiguous at one of their angles. Sir I. Newton.

Sees no contiguous palace rear its head. Goldsmith.

Contiguous angles. See Adjacent angles, under Angle.

Syn. -- Adjoining; adjacent. See Adjacent.

-- Con*tig"u*ous*ly, adv. -- Con*tig"u*ous*ness, n.

{ Con"ti*nence (?), Con"ti*nen*cy (?) }, n. [F. continence, L. continentia. See Continent, and cf. Countenance.] 1. Self-restraint; self-command.

He knew what to say; he knew also, when to leave off, -- a continence which is practiced by few writers. Dryden.

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.

Con"ti*nent (?), a. [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.

Con"ti*nent, n. [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.

&fist; The continents are now usually regarded as six in number: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. But other large bodies of land are also reffered to as continents; as, the Antarctic continent; the continent of Greenland. Europe, Asia, and Africa are often grouped together as the Eastern Continent, and North and South America as the Western Continent.

The Continent, the main land of Europe, as distinguished from the islands, especially from England.

Con`ti*nen"tal (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to a continent.