The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Contain \Con*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Contained; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Containing.] [OE. contenen, conteinen, F. contenir,
   fr. L. continere, -tentum; con- + tenere to hold. See
   Tenable, and cf. Countenance.]
   1. To hold within fixed limits; to comprise; to include; to
      inclose; to hold.
      [1913 Webster]

            Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can not
            contain thee; how much less this house! --2 Chron.
                                                  vi. 18.
      [1913 Webster]

            When that this body did contain a spirit. --Shak.
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            What thy stores contain bring forth.  --Milton.
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   2. To have capacity for; to be able to hold; to hold; to be
      equivalent to; as, a bushel contains four pecks.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep
      within bounds. [Obs., exept as used reflexively.]
      [1913 Webster]

            The king's person contains the unruly people from
            evil occasions.                       --Spenser.
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            Fear not, my lord: we can contain ourselves. --Shak.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Contain \Con*tain"\, v. i.
   To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity.
   [1913 Webster]

         But if they can not contain, let them marry. --1 Cor.
                                                  vii. 9.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

contain
    v 1: include or contain; have as a component; "A totally new
         idea is comprised in this paper"; "The record contains many
         old songs from the 1930's" [syn: incorporate, contain,
         comprise]
    2: contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The
       canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water" [syn:
       hold, bear, carry, contain]
    3: lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or
       keep within limits; "moderate your alcohol intake"; "hold
       your tongue"; "hold your temper"; "control your anger" [syn:
       control, hold in, hold, contain, check, curb,
       moderate]
    4: be divisible by; "24 contains 6"
    5: be capable of holding or containing; "This box won't take all
       the items"; "The flask holds one gallon" [syn: contain,
       take, hold]
    6: hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or
       influence of; "Arrest the downward trend"; "Check the growth
       of communism in South East Asia"; "Contain the rebel
       movement"; "Turn back the tide of communism" [syn: check,
       turn back, arrest, stop, contain, hold back]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

210 Moby Thesaurus words for "contain":
   accommodate, add up to, admit, affect, aggregate, aggregate to,
   amount to, arrest, assimilate, assume, bang, bar, barricade,
   batten, batten down, bear, beleaguer, beset, besiege, blockade,
   bolt, bound, box in, bridle, bring, button, button up, cage,
   call for, carry, chamber, check, choke, choke off, clap, close,
   close in, close up, collect, come to, compass, complete,
   comprehend, comprise, condition, confine, constrain, constrict,
   contract, control, cool, cool off, coop, coop in, coop up,
   copyright, cordon, cordon off, corral, count in, cover, curb,
   curtail, decelerate, discipline, dompt, draw the line, embed,
   embody, embrace, encircle, enclose, encompass, enfold, enjoin,
   enshrine, entail, envisage, fasten, fence in, fill, fill in,
   fill out, fold, fold up, govern, guard, hedge about, hedge in,
   hem in, hinder, hold, hold at bay, hold back, hold fast, hold in,
   hold in check, hold in leash, hold up, house in, implicate, imply,
   impound, imprison, incarcerate, include, incorporate, inhibit,
   internalize, involve, jail, keep, keep back, keep from, keep in,
   keep in check, keep under control, keep within, kennel, key, latch,
   lay under restraint, lead to, leaguer, limit, lock, lock out,
   lock up, mew, mew up, moderate, mount up to, narrow, number,
   number among, occlude, occupy, padlock, patent, pen, pen in, plumb,
   pocket, presume, presuppose, prohibit, pull, pull in, put in,
   qualify, quarantine, rail in, receive, reckon among, reckon in,
   reckon up to, reckon with, register, rein, rein in, repress,
   require, restrain, restrict, retard, retrench, run into, run to,
   scant, seal, seal off, seal up, seat, secure, set back, shrine,
   shut, shut in, shut the door, shut up, slam, slow down, snap, snub,
   specialize, squeeze shut, stable, stifle, stint, straiten,
   strangle, subsume, suppress, surround, take, take in,
   take into account, take into consideration, take up, tot up to,
   total, tote up to, unitize, wall in, withhold, wrap, yard, yard up,
   zip up, zipper