Continuous

Continuous
Continuous Con*tin"u*ous, a. [L. continuus, fr. continere to hold together. See {Continent}.] 1. Without break, cessation, or interruption; without intervening space or time; uninterrupted; unbroken; continual; unceasing; constant; continued; protracted; extended; as, a continuous line of railroad; a continuous current of electricity. [1913 Webster]

he can hear its continuous murmur. --Longfellow. [1913 Webster]

2. (Bot.) Not deviating or varying from uninformity; not interrupted; not joined or articulated. [1913 Webster]

{Continuous brake} (Railroad), a brake which is attached to each car a train, and can be caused to operate in all the cars simultaneously from a point on any car or on the engine.

{Continuous impost}. See {Impost}.

Syn: {Continuous}, {Continual}.

Usage: Continuous is the stronger word, and denotes that the continuity or union of parts is absolute and uninterrupted; as, a continuous sheet of ice; a continuous flow of water or of argument. So Daniel Webster speaks of ``a continuous and unbroken strain of the martial airs of England.'' Continual, in most cases, marks a close and unbroken succession of things, rather than absolute continuity. Thus we speak of continual showers, implying a repetition with occasional interruptions; we speak of a person as liable to continual calls, or as subject to continual applications for aid, etc. See {Constant}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • continuous — I adjective ceaseless, consecutive, constant, continual, continuing, endless, extended, following, incessant, never ending, perennial, perpetual, progressive, prolonged, repeated, running, sequential, steady, sustained, unbroken, unceasing,… …   Law dictionary

  • continuous — 1640s, from Fr. continueus or directly from L. continuus uninterrupted, hanging together (see CONTINUE (Cf. continue)). Related: Continuously …   Etymology dictionary

  • continuous — constant, perpetual, perennial, *continual, incessant, unremitting Analogous words: connected, related, linked (see JOIN): successive, *consecutive, sequent, serial: *steady, constant, uniform Antonyms: interrupted Contrasted words: *intermittent …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • continuous — [adj] constant, unending connected, consecutive, continued, day and night*, endless, everlasting, extended, for ever and ever, interminable, looped, no end of*, no end to, on a treadmill*, perpetual, prolonged, regular, repeated, stable, steady,… …   New thesaurus

  • continuous — ► ADJECTIVE 1) without interruption. 2) forming a series with no exceptions or reversals. DERIVATIVES continuously adverb continuousness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • continuous — [kən tin′yo͞o əs] adj. [L continuus: see CONTINUE] 1. going on or extending without interruption or break; unbroken; connected 2. Math. designating a function whose value at each point is closely approached by its values at neighboring points SYN …   English World dictionary

  • continuous — continual, continuous 1. Continual is the older word (14c), and once had all the meanings it now (since the mid 19c) shares with continuous (17c). Fowler (1926) expressed the current distinction somewhat cryptically as follows: ‘That is al which… …   Modern English usage

  • continuous — [[t]kəntɪ̱njuəs[/t]] 1) ADJ: usu ADJ n A continuous process or event continues for a period of time without stopping. Residents report that they heard continuous gunfire. ...all employees who had a record of five years continuous employment with… …   English dictionary

  • continuous — con|tin|u|ous W3S2 [kənˈtınjuəs] adj [Date: 1600 1700; : Latin; Origin: continuus, from continere; CONTAIN] 1.) continuing to happen or exist without stopping →↑continue ▪ continuous economic growth ▪ a continuous flow of information 2.)… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • continuous — con|tin|u|ous [ kən tınjuəs ] adjective ** 1. ) continuing without stopping or being interrupted: a continuous flow of water a continuous hum from the air conditioner 2. ) a continuous line, curve, etc. continues without a break or space 3. )… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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