1. Those parts of the world's primary continuous expanses of land (Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America): "Europe is one of the seven continents in the world."
2. Etymology: from Latin terra continens, "continuous land" or literally, "the land that holds together". At first, in the 16th century, it referred to any large continuous expanse of territory; and then from the early 17th century onward, it was specifically applied to any of the Earth's major landmasses.