Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CON-SUMP'TIVE-LY, adv.

In a way tending to consumption. – Beddoes.

CON-SUMP'TIVE-NESS, n.

A state of being consumptive, or a tendency to a consumption.

CON-TAB'U-LATE, v.t. [L. contabulo; con and tabula.]

To floor with boards. – Gayton.

CON-TAB'U-LA-TED, pp.

Floored with boards.

CON-TAB'U-LA-TING, ppr.

Flooring with boards.

CON-TAB-U-LA'TION, n.

The act of laying with boards, or of flooring.

CON'TACT, n. [L. contactus, from contingo, to touch; con and tango, to touch, originally tago; Gr. θιγω. See Touch.]

A touching; touch; close union or juncture of bodies. Two bodies come in contact, when they meet without any sensible intervening space; the parts that touch are called the points of contact.

CON-TAC'TION, n.

The act of touching. – Brown.

CON-TA'GION, n. [L. contagio, from the root of contingo, tango, primarily tago, to touch.]

1. Literally, a touch or touching. Hence, the communication of a disease by contact, or the matter communicated. More generally, that subtil matter which proceeds from a diseased person or body, and communicates the disease to another person; as, in cases of small pox, measles, &c., diseases which are communicated without contact. This contagion proceeds from the breath of the diseased, from the perspiration or other excretions.
2. That which communicates evil from one to another; infection; that which propagates mischief; as, the contagion of vice or of evil examples. – Milton.
3. Pestilence; a pestilential disease; venomous exhalations. – Shak.

CON-TA'GION-ED, a.

Affected by contagion.

CON-TA'GIOUS, a.

1. Containing or generating contagion; catching; that may be communicated by contact, or by a subtle excreted matter; as, a contagious disease.
2. Poisonous; pestilential; containing contagion; as, contagious air; contagious clothing.
3. Containing mischief that may be propagated; as, contagious example.
4. That may be communicated from one to another, or may excite like affections in others. His genius rendered his courage more contagious. – Wirt.

CON-TA'GIOUS-LY, adv.

By contagion.

CON-TA'GIOUS-NESS, n.

The quality of being contagious.

CON-TAIN', v.i.

To live in continence or chastity. – Arbuthnot and Pope. 1 Cor. vii.

CON-TAIN', v.t. [L. contineo; con and teneo, to hold; It. contenere; Fr. contenir; Sp. contener. See Tenet, Tenure.]

1. To hold, as a vessel; as, the vessel contains a gallon. Hence, to have capacity; to be able to hold; applied to an empty vessel.
2. To comprehend; to hold within specified limits. Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens can not continue thee. – 1 Kings viii.
3. To comprehend; to comprise. The history of Livy contains a hundred and forty books.
4. To hold within limits prescribed; to restrain; to withhold from trespass or disorder. The king's person contains the unruly people from evil occasions. [Obs.] – Spenser. Fear not, my Lord, we can contain ourselves. – Shak.
5. To include. This article is not contained in the account. This number does not contain the article specified.
6. To inclose; as, this cover or envelop contains a letter.

CON-TAIN'A-BLE, a.

That may be contained, or comprised. – Boyle.

CON-TAIN'ED, pp.

Held; comprehended; comprised; included; inclosed.

CON-TAIN'ING, ppr.

Holding; having capacity to hold; comprehending; comprising; including; inclosing.

CON-TAM'I-NATE, a.

Polluted; defiled; corrupt. – Shak.

CON-TAM'I-NATE, v.t. [L. contamino; con and ant. tamino. Qu. Heb. Ch. Syr. טמא, to defile. Class Dm, No. 19.]

To defile; to pollute; usually in a figurative sense; to sully; to tarnish; to taint. Lewdness contaminates character; cowardice contaminates honor. Shall we now / Contaminate our fingers with base bribes? – Shak.

CON-TAM'I-NA-TED, pp.

Polluted; defiled; tarnished.

CON-TAM'I-NA-TING, ppr.

Polluting; defiling; tarnishing.

CON-TAM-INA'TION, n.

The act of polluting; pollution; defilement; taint.

CON-TAM'IN-A-TIVE, a.

Adapted to contaminate. – [West. Rev. 1841.]

CON'TECK, n.

Quarrel; contention. [Not English.]