continue

present singular third person continues · participle present continuing · participle past continued · past continued · first person past singular continued · archaic present second person singular continuest · past second person singular continued · archaic past second person singular continuedst · present singular third person continues · archaic present singular third person continueth · past singular third person continued · past plural continued · past subjunctive continued · participle present continuing · participle past continued

1. transitiveTo proceed with (doing an activity); to prolong (an activity).

   Do you want me to continue to unload these?

   5 more examples

   Shall I continue speaking, or will you just interrupt me again?

   Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.

   1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii

   Amid criticism that it was acting too slowly and indecisively in the face of disaster, TEPCO flooded three of its unstable reactors with water. It continues to do so while efforts continue towards long-term recovery.

   2012 February 13, Hilary Whiteman, “Japan: False thermometer may be behind high readings”, in CNN, archived from the original on 28 Nov 2022

   Fuelled by their fury, Spurs surged forward and gave themselves hope after 56 minutes when Scott Parker's precise through-ball released Adebayor. He was pulled down in the area by Cech but referee Atkinson allowed play to continue for Bale to roll the ball into an empty net.

   2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 30 Mar 2022

   It has emphasised that the proposals do not involve any work on the railway itself, so train services would continue to run throughout.

   2022 January 12, “Network News: £7.2 million plan to stop flooding and protect South West rail link”, in RAIL, number 948, page 12

   Synonyms: extend, run

2. transitiveTo make last; to prolong.

   Can you account him wise or discreet that would willingly have his health, and yet will do nothing that should procure or continue it?

   1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York: New York Review Books, published 2001, →ISBN, partition 1, page 74

   1 more example

   Gino was distracted. She knew why; he wanted a son. He could talk and think of nothing else. His one desire was to become the father of a man like himself, and it held him with a grip he only partially understood, for it was the first great desire, the first great passion of his life. Falling in love was a mere physical triviality, like warm sun or cool water, beside this divine hope of immortality: "I continue."

   1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, chapter 4

3. transitiveTo retain (someone or something) in a given state, position, etc.

   […] dip the mouth of it within the second glass and remove your finger; continue it in that posture for a time, and it will unmingle the wine from the water […]

   1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

   1 more example

   The schools were very much the brainchild of Bertin, and although the latter was ousted from the post of Controller-General by Choiseul in 1763, he was continued by the king as a fifth secretary of state […].

   2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 257

4. intransitivecopulative sense obsoleteTo remain in a given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay.

   Here to continue, and build up here / A growing empire.

   1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   2 more examples

   They continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew xv:32

   He then passed by the fellow, who still continued in the posture in which he fell, and entered the room where Northerton, as he had heard, was confined.

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

5. intransitiveTo resume.

   When will the concert continue?

   Synonyms: carry on, go on, proceed, resume

6. transitivelawTo adjourn, prorogue, put off.

   This meeting has been continued to the thirteenth of July.

7. slangcard gamesTo make a continuation bet.

plural continues

1. video gamesAn option allowing the player to resume play after game over, when all lives have been lost, while retaining their progress.

   So if you died battling the green monster inside the cave—and you had run out of lives—maybe a continue would be available.

   2008, Jeannie Novak, Luis Levy, Play the Game: The Parent's Guide to Video Games, →ISBN, page 48

   1 more example

   Moreover, where three lives and a sparse availability of extra life-giving '1-Ups' marked the 1991 experience, the iPod player is offered an unlimited number of continues with which to progress through the gameworld.

   2012, James A. Newman, Best Before: Videogames, Supersession and Obsolescence, →ISBN, page 128