Literary notes about Contain (AI summary)
The term "contain" is used with remarkable flexibility, often denoting both physical enclosure and the idea of inclusion or composition. In some passages, it clearly indicates a literal holding of items or substances—for instance, describing a cell that contains no starch [1] or a gold casket that could not contain a cherished portrait [2]. In scientific and technical discussions, it specifies ingredients or constituent elements, as seen with nitrogen content in clover-roots [3] and the composition of compounds [4, 5]. At the same time, "contain" carries a more abstract sense in literature, suggesting the presence of emotions or the encapsulation of ideas, such as when characters struggle to contain their passion or inner turmoil [6, 7, 8] or when a thought is said to contain inherent contradictions [9]. Whether pointing to tangible substances or intangible qualities, the use of "contain" enriches the narrative by underscoring both physical and metaphorical boundaries.
- The cells contain no starch, the reserve food supply being stored cellulose, protein, and aleurone grains.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - He chose the gold casket, for he said neither base lead nor silver could contain her picture.
— from Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E. Nesbit and William Shakespeare - And these 3¼ tons of dry clover-roots contain 191½ lbs. of nitrogen, which is as much as is contained in 19 tons of ordinary stable-manure.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - The nitrogen they contain imparts to them basic properties—they are organic bases—and hence they all form salts with acids.
— from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various - Coal gas, mineral oils, alcohol, petrol, etc., all contain hydrogen and carbon.
— from How it Works by Archibald Williams - And when he was gone, Mrs. Brand seemed unable to contain herself any longer, and broke forth passionately.
— from A True Friend: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant - He had to learn to contain himself again, and he hated it.
— from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence - Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - But now those very notions appeared to him to contain a contradiction.
— from Phaedo by Plato
