Also 7 containt. [There is no corresponding use of content, contente, contento, contenta in the modern Romanic langs., which all express the sense by sbs. derived from their actual pa. pple., as F. contenu, It. contenuto, Sp. contenido. Apparently, therefore, the Eng. word is a subst. use of CONTENT ppl. a. repr. L. contentum that which is contained, plural contenta. The singular was formerly in use in senses in which the plural is now alone used; in senses 2, 3, contents was in 17th c. often construed as sing.
The stress conte·nt is historical, and still common among the educated, but co·ntent is now used by many, esp. by young people; some make a difference, saying conte·nts, but cubic co·ntent; and printers often use co·ntents technically, while saying conte·nts generally. See Academy, 21 Nov. (1891), 456.
I. That which is contained in anything.
1. A thing contained; now only in pl. (with of or possessive): That which is contained (in a vessel or the like); also fig.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 6 b. All this worlde with the contentes in the same.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, lxxiii. 23. Yf in an urine doo appere a content lyke as heares were chopped in it.
1625. Hart, Anat. Ur., II. viii. 96. All vrines are not accompanied with contents.
1783. Cowper, Task, IV. 506. Ten thousand casks For ever dribbling out their base contents.
1832. G. R. Porter, Porcelain & Gl., 91. The contents of the kiln are left undisturbed until they are cool.
1884. Miss Braddon, Ishmael, xii. The old toper swallowed the contents of both glasses without winking.
b. Contrasted with continent.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1019. The content is alwaies lesse than the continent.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. i. § 3. If there be no fulnesse, then is the Continent greater than the Content.
1868. G. Macdonald, Seaboard Parish, I. iv. 66. Let the money go to build decent houses for God’s poor, not to give them his holy bread and wine out of silver and gold and precious stones—stealing from the significance of the content by the meretricious grandeur of the continent.
2. spec. (pl.) The things contained or treated of in a writing or document; the various subdivisions of its subject matter. Formerly also in sing.
1509. Paternoster, Ave & Creed (W. de W.), C vj. Praye for your broder Thomas Betson which … drewe and made the contentes of this lytell quayer and exhortacion.
1530. Palsgr., 208/2. Contentes of writyng, contenue.
1539. Bible (Great), title-p., The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye the content of all the holy Scrypture, bothe of ye olde and newe testament.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., IV. iii. 21. This is a Letter of your owne deuice. No, I protest, I know not the contents, Phebe did write it.
1655. Mirr. Mercy & Judgm., in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), X. 33. He did read the scripture, and the ‘Practice of Piety,’ every day, especially that content of the joys off heven.
1782. Cowper, Lett. 4 Nov. A letter ought not to be estimated by the length of it, but by the contents.
1870. L’Estrange, Miss Mitford, I. i. 8. An acquaintance with the other contents of ‘Percy’s Reliques.’
b. Table of contents († content): a summary of the matters contained in a book, in the order in which they occur, usually placed at the beginning of the book. Also simply contents († content).
1481. Caxton, Godfrey. Here endeth the table of the content and chapytres nombred of this present book.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1541), A j. The contents of this buke.
1581. Act 23 Eliz., c. 3 § 7. The said chirographer shall delyver to everye sherife of everye countye … a perfyte content of the Table so to bee made for that Shire.
1619. L. Bayly, Pract. Pietie, Table. The chiefe contents of this Booke.
1824. J. Johnson, Typogr., II. vi. 137. After the body of the volume is completed, the contents sometimes follow next.
† 3. The sum or substance of what is contained in a document; tenor, purport. In this sense, used both in sing. and pl., and also in pl. construed as sing. Obs.
1513–4. Act 5 Hen. VIII., c. 1. To require … the person soo bound to perfourme the contentes of every such Writting obligatorie.
1530. Palsgr., 208/2. Content of a mater, teneur.
1583. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe Countr., I. 93 b. A Letter … the content wherof was this, [etc.].
1586. Jas. VI., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 222. III. 14. Reade my lettir … and conforme your selfe quhollie to the contentis thairof.
1616. Brent, trans. Sarpi’s Counc. Trent (1676), 80. Briefly repeating a short contents thereof, he said, [etc.].
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 26. The Count shewed him the answer of Mutriro, the contents whereof was [etc.].
1654. Earl Orrery, Parthenissa (1676), 581. This ensuing Letter, whose Address was as strange to him, as the Contents was to us.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 622. Terms of weight, Of hard contents.
b. Contents of a bill or cheque: the amount for which it is drawn, as specified therein.
1866. Crump, Banking, v. 123. If it be intended further to negotiate it, or to receive the contents at maturity.
4. The sum of qualities, notions, ideal elements given in or composing a conception; the substance or matter (of cognition, of art, etc.) as opposed to the form.
1845. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 6. The mind … looks at actions to see what may be their ethic content; what instruction for practice they afford.
1862. H. Spencer, First Princ., II. iii. § 48. Forces, standing in certain correlations, form the whole content of our idea of Matter.
1875. Whitney, Life Lang., v. 76. The inner content or meaning of words.
1878. Dowden, Stud. Lit. (1882), 295. An indifference arises as to what is called the substance or ‘content’ of works of art.
1883. Huxley, in Nature, XXVII. 397. The great mass of literature … is valued … because of its intellectual content.
II. Containing capacity, space, area, extent.
5. Containing power (of a vessel, etc. in reference to quantity); capacity.
1491. Act 7 Hen. VII., c. 7 § 1. If it lacke of the seid gauge … than the Seller to abate somoche of the price after the rate of the seid content.
1531–2. Act 23 Hen. VIII., c. 4 § 1. Barrels kylderkyns and firkyns of moche lasse quantitie, contente, rate, and assise than they ought to be.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., Diners Chim. Concl., 28. A glasse … of some greater content.
1624. Bacon, New Atlantis (1627), 12. This Island had then fifteen hundred strong ships of great Content.
1672. Grew, Idea Philos. Hist. Plants, § 24. The Content of these altogether, would scarce be equal to half the Content of that One.
1709. Hauksbee, Phys.-Mech. Exper., i. (1719), 17. A Glass Tube whose Content was about 30 ounces.
1884. Chamb. Jrnl., 26 Jan., 59/1. Gaugers … glancing at a cask … to tell its ‘content,’ as its holding capacity is officially styled.
6. Extent, size, quantity of space contained.
a. Superficial extent, area. Also formerly in pl. Frequent in 17th c.; now rare.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 89. I will … shewe you out of Beda … the content and storie of this Ile.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Gardens (Arb.), 558. For Gardens … the Contents, ought not well to be vnder Thirty Acres of Ground.
1660. Barrow, Euclid, I. prop. 35. schol. The area or content of the Rectangle.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 53. To find the superficial content of the earth.
1859. Barn. Smith, Arith. & Algebra (ed. 6), 162. Content is also frequently used to denote length, area, and capacity or volume; the length of a line being called its linear content; the area of a figure, its superficial content.
b. Amount of cubical space taken up, volume. (Often solid content.) Now the usual sense.
1612. R. Churton (title), An Old Thrift newly Revived, also the use of a small Instrument for Measuring the solid content and height of any Tree.
1774. J. Bryant, Mythol., I. 429. The general measurement … by acres proves that such an estimate could not relate to anything of solid contents.
1863. Huxley, Man’s Place Nat., II. 77. The most capacious Gorilla skull yet measured has a content of not more than 341/2 cubic inches.
c. Linear content: length (along a line straight or curved). rare.
1859. [see a].
d. Size or extent as estimated by the number of individuals contained.
1889. Spectator, 12 Oct. The Turkish Army … is now equal in all but content to any army of its kind in Europe.
† e. quasi-concr. A portion of material or of space of a certain extent; an ‘extent.’ Obs.
1577. Harrison, England, II. v. (1877), I. 122. The Kings grace hath at his pleasure the content of cloth for his gowne.
1654. Fuller, Ephemeris, Pref. 1. Our Native Countrey … hath in all ages afforded as many signall observables as any content of ground of the same proportion.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Josephus’ Antiq., V. viii. (1733), 119. The Camp must needs take up a huge Content of Ground.
7. Customs. A paper delivered to the custom-house searcher by the master of a vessel before he can clear outwards, specifying the vessel’s destination, the stores shipped, and other particulars.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Contents.
1872. Stores Content and Master’s Declaration. I … Master of the above-named Vessel, do declare that the particulars set forth above are true and correct, etc.
