<B>continuous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> without a stop; connected; unbroken; uninterrupted. <BR> <I>Ex. a continuous line of cars, a continuous sound. The radio had been making continuous statements along these lines (London Times).</I> (SYN) ceaseless, incessant, perpetual. adv. <B>continuously.</B> noun <B>continuousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="continuousfunction">
<B>continuous function,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Mathematics, Statistics.) a function which changes systematically in value as the value of the function's independent variable is changed. </DL>
<A NAME="continuouskiln">
<B>continuous kiln,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a long kiln in which small rail cars or a conveyor carry brick or other ware through a tunnel to the point of highest temperature at the center; tunnel kiln. </DL>
<A NAME="continuousminer">
<B>continuous miner,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a machine that automatically digs and loads coal. </DL>
<A NAME="continuousphase">
<B>continuous phase,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the medium in which the particles (the disperse phase) of a colloid are distributed. </DL>
<A NAME="continuousspectrum">
<B>continuous spectrum,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a spectrum whose source emits light of every wavelength in a continuous band. Spectra from incandescent bodies and molten metal, are often continuous. </DL>
<A NAME="continuousvoyage">
<B>continuous voyage,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (International Law.) a voyage interrupted by stoppages at ports, yet regarded as a single voyage in reference to its purpose, such as the consignment of contraband of war. </DL>
<A NAME="continuouswave">
<B>continuous wave,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a radio or radar wave whose oscillations occur in a regular, uninterrupted pattern, at a constant amplitude and frequency. </DL>
<A NAME="continuum">
<B>continuum, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tinua.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a continuous quantity, series, or whole. <BR> <I>Ex. the largest and most isolated continuum of preagricultural people in the world [the Australian aborigines] (Atlantic).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a thing that remains the same; any characteristic having a continued existence and observable to be the same among a group or series having limitless variations. <DD><B> 3. </B>a continuous whole or other quantitative concept of which the parts are indistinguishable except by reference to something outside of itself, especially the four dimensional space-time continuum within which it is possible to "identify" or "locate" events only by reference to three spatial coordinates and the temporal coordinate (the fourth dimension). </DL>
<A NAME="conto">
<B>conto, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tos.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a Portuguese or Brazilian monetary unit, formerly worth 1,000,000 reis, now worth 1,000 escudos in Portugal or 1,000 cruzeiros in Brazil. <DD><B> 2. </B>(in Portugal) a million. </DL>
<A NAME="contoid">
<B>contoid, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Phonetics.) <DD><I>noun </I> any sound having a consonant-like character. <BR> <I>Ex. A contoid ... is a sound involving clearly audible turbulence of the air stream at one point or another in the vocal tract, or else a complete interruption of the air stream (Charles F. Hockett).</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> having a consonant-like character. <BR> <I>Ex. contoid articulation.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="contorniate">
<B>contorniate, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Numismatics.) <DD><I>adj. </I> having a bordering furrow within the edge. <DD><I>noun </I> one of a group of Roman medals or coinlike pieces of copper or bronze having a furrow on each side within the edge, and bearing on one side a head and on the other side devices relating to the public games or spectacles, in connection with which these pieces are supposed to have been issued, probably first in the 300's A.D. </DL>
<A NAME="contort">
<B>contort, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to twist or bend out of shape; distort. <BR> <I>Ex. The clown contorted his face.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="contortion">
<B>contortion, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a twisting out of shape; distorting. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) Such contortions of facts cannot be excused.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>twisted condition; distorted form or shape. <BR> <I>Ex. The acrobat went through various contortions.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="contortionate">
<B>contortionate, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> marked by contortion; twisting. </DL>
<A NAME="contortionist">
<B>contortionist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who can twist or bend his body into odd and unnatural positions. </DL>
<A NAME="contortive">
<B>contortive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> tending to or characterized by contortion. </DL>
<A NAME="contour">
<B>contour, </B>noun, adjective, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the outline of a figure. <BR> <I>Ex. The contour of the Atlantic coast of America is very irregular.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the line that defines or bounds anything. <BR> <I>Ex. the subtle melodic contour of late-eighteenth-century music (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=contour line.</B> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Phonetics.) a sequence of different levels of pitch or stress. <BR> <I>Ex. Intonation contours are not, of course, phonemes, but morphemes (H. A. Gleason, Jr.).</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>showing the outline, especially of hills, valleys, and other topographical features. <BR> <I>Ex. a contour interval on a topographic map.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>following natural ridges and furrows in plowing to avoid erosion. <BR> <I>Ex. contour rows.</I> <DD> See also <B>contour plowing.</B> <DD><B> 3. </B>shaped to fit the contour of a particular object. <BR> <I>Ex. a contour chair, contour sheets.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make an outline or contour of. <DD><B> 2. </B>to build (a road, trestle, building, or the like) according to a contour. <DD><B> 3. </B>to mark with contour lines. </DL>
<A NAME="contourchasing">
<B>contour-chasing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> low-altitude flying that follows closely the contour of the terrain below. <BR> <I>Ex. Military aircraft are being designed for contour-chasing to defeat radar defences (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="contourcouch">
<B>contour couch,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a couch in a spacecraft, that fits closely the form of the occupant, to support and protect his body under extreme pressures. </DL>
<A NAME="contourfeathers">
<B>contour feathers,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the outer feathers which determine the contour of a bird's body. </DL>
<A NAME="contourinterval">
<B>contour interval,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> difference in height, measured vertically, between the contour lines on a map. Intervals are usually regular and uniform, as every 100, 500, or 1000 feet. </DL>
<A NAME="contourline">
<B>contour line,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a line on a map, showing height above or below sea level. All points on a contour line have the same elevation. </DL>
<A NAME="contourmap">
<B>contour map,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a map showing heights at regular intervals above sea level by means of contour lines. </DL>
<A NAME="contourplowing">
<B>contour plowing,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> plowing that follows the contours of land, crosswise to its slope. </DL>
<B>contra</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the opposite side or column of an account, especially the right-hand or credit side, in which the liabilities appear. </DL>
<A NAME="contra">
<B>contra</B> (2) or <B>Contra, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tras.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a member of the rebel military forces that oppose the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. </DL>
<A NAME="contra">
<B>contra-,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (prefix.) in opposition; against. <BR> <I>Ex. Contradistinction = distinction by opposition or contrast.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="contraband">
<B>contraband, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>goods imported or exported contrary to law; smuggled goods. <BR> <I>Ex. Customs officials went through each bag looking for contraband.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>trading contrary to law; smuggling. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=contraband of war.</B> <DD><B> 4. </B>(U.S.) a Negro slave who escaped to or was brought within the Union lines during the Civil War. <DD><I>adj. </I> against the law; prohibited; forbidden. <BR> <I>Ex. The sale of stolen goods is contraband in the United States. A small but steady trickle of ... contraband arms was being smuggled across its territory (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="contrabandist">
<B>contrabandist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person engaged in contraband trade; smuggler. </DL>
<A NAME="contrabandofwar">
<B>contraband of war,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> goods supplied by neutral nations to countries at war with one another, which either warring country has the right to seize. Ammunition is always contraband of war. </DL>
<A NAME="contrabass">
<B>contrabass, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the lowest bass voice or instrument. <DD><B> 2. </B>a large stringed instrument shaped like a cello and having a very low bass tone; double bass. <DD><I>adj. </I> sounding an octave lower than the normal bass. </DL>
<A NAME="contrabassist">
<B>contrabassist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who plays the contrabass. </DL>
<A NAME="contrabasso">
<B>contrabasso, </B>noun, pl. <B>-sos.</B> =contrabass.</DL>
<A NAME="contrabassoon">
<B>contra bassoon,</B> or <B>contrabassoon, </B>noun,<DL COMPACT><DD> a large bassoon, an octave lower in range than the ordinary bassoon; double bassoon. <BR> <I>Ex. The additions [to the classic orchestra] today used by the moderns are piccolos, English horns, contra bassoons (John Philip Sousa).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="contracept">
<B>contracept, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to prevent from being conceived in the womb. </DL>
<A NAME="contraception">
<B>contraception, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the use of any method, drug, or device to prevent conception or pregnancy. </DL>
<A NAME="contraceptive">
<B>contraceptive, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or for contraception. <DD><I>noun </I> a means or device for preventing conception or pregnancy. <BR> <I>Ex. an oral contraceptive.</I> </DL>
