continence, continency
(noun) the exercise of self constraint in sexual matters
continence
(noun) voluntary control over urinary and fecal discharge
Source: WordNet® 3.1
continence (usually uncountable, plural continences)
(urology) The voluntary control of urination and defecation.
Moderation or self-restraint, especially in sexual activity; abstinence.
Uninterrupted course; continuity.
• (moderation or self-restraint): asceticism, temperance
• (uninterrupted course): See also continuity
• (all): incontinence
• (moderation or self-restraint): acrasia, acrasy, intemperance
• (uninterrupted course): See also discontinuity
Source: Wiktionary
Con"ti*nence, Con"ti*nen*cy, n. Etym: [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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
4 October 2024
(noun) a collection of papers containing detailed information about a particular person or subject (usually a person’s record)
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
