Lewis & Short

contĭnŭus, a, um, adj. [contineo, II.], joining, connecting with something, or hanging together, in space or time, uninterrupted, continuous.

  1. I. Of space (so mostly Aug. and post-Aug.; cf., however, continue); with dat. or absol.
    1. A. Lit.: aër continuus terrae est, Sen. Q. N. 2, 6, 1: Leucada continuam veteres habuere coloni; nunc freta circuëunt, joined to the mainland, Ov. M. 15, 289: ignis proxima quaeque et deinceps continua amplexus, Liv. 30, 5, 7; 30, 6, 5: montes, * Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 5; Plin. 6, 30, 35, § 189: agri, Suet. Caes. 38: fluere continuo alveo (Euphraten), Plin. 6, 26, 30, § 124; cf.: Rhenus uno alveo continuus, Tac. A. 2, 6: mare, id. Agr. 10 fin.: aliqui vice dentium continuo osse gignuntur, Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 69: omnia continua et paria, Plin. Pan. 51, 4: serpens, Stat. Th. 5, 517.
        1. b. Subst.: contĭnŭus, i, m., he who is always about one, an attendant: Cocceius Nerva, continuus principis, Tac. A. 6, 26 (32) Halm, Draeg. ad loc. (Nipperd. and Ritter, principi).
    2. B. Tron., of rhet. matters (most freq. in Quint.): cum fluxerunt plures continuae translationes (the figure derived from an uninterrupted, flowing stream; v. the preced.), Cic. Or. 27, 94: expositio (opp. partita), Quint. 7, 10, 11: loci, id. 11, 3, 84: lumina, id. 12, 10, 46: ab exordio usque ad ultimam vocem continuus quidam gemitus, id. 11, 1, 54: oratio, id. 6, 1, 46; 6, 4, 1 et saep.: adfectus, id. 6, 2, 10: impetus, id. 10. 7, 14 et saep.
  2. II. Of time and objects relating to it, following one after another, successive, continuous (class. in all periods and species of composition): auferet ex oculis veniens Aurora Boöten; continuāque die sidus Hyantis erit, the next day, Ov. F. 5, 734; so, continuā nocte, the following night, id. ib. 6, 720: triduum continuum, dies decem continuos, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 146 sq.: dies quinque ex eo die, Caes. B. G. 1, 48: annos prope quinquaginta, Cic. Verr. 1, 13, 38: duabus noctibus, Suet. Aug. 94: secutae sunt continuos complures dies tempestates, Caes. B. G. 4, 34 Oud. N. cr. prioribus diebus, Liv. 42, 58, 3: aliquot an nos continuos, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 54: tot dies, id. Verr. 2, 5, 36, § 94: triennium, Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 61; Suet. Calig. 7: biennio, id. Tib. 38: bella, Liv. 10, 31, 10; cf.: cursus proeliorum, Tac. Agr. 27: consulatus, Suet. Caes. 76; Plin. Pan. 58: itinera, Lepid. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 34, 1: regna, Liv. 1, 47, 6: duo tri umphi ex Hispaniā acti, id. 41, 7, 1: labor, Quint. 1, 3, 8: amor, Prop. 1, 20, 1: incom moda, Caes. B. G. 7, 14: messe senescit ager; Ov. A. A. 3, 82: eos (patricios) ab Atto Clauso continuos duravisse, Tac. A. 12, 25 fin. et saep.
    With abl. resp.: continuus inde et saevus accusandis reis Suilius, incessant, Tac. A. 11, 5; cf.: postulandis reis tam continuus annus fuit, incessantly occupied, id. ib. 4, 36.
    Hence the advv.,
      1. 1. contĭ-nŭē, continuously, without interruption; in space or time (very rare, perh. only anteand post-class. for continenter, assidue): * flumen quod fluit continue, Varr. L. L. 5, § 27 Müll.: protinus jugiter et continue, Non. p. 376, 26.
      2. 2. contĭnŭō.
    1. A. To designate an act that in time immediately follows something, immediately, forthwith, directly, without delay, = statim, αὐτίκα (very freq. in all periods and kinds of composition).
      1. 1. In gen.
          1. (α) Corresp. with the particles of time: ubi, ut, postquam, cum, etc.; with ubi: ubi primum terram tetigimus, Continuo, etc., Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 49; so id. Cist. 2, 3, 35; Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 51 al.
            With ut, etc.: quae ut aspexi, me continuo contuli, etc., Plaut. Bacch. 3, 1, 7; so, iste continuo ut vidit, non dubitavit, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 22, § 48: ut quisque insanus … latum demisit pectore clavum, Audit continuo, etc., Hor. S. 1, 6, 29: nam postquam audivi … cominuo argentum dedi, Ut emeretur, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 37: cum te summis laudibus ad caelum extulerunt, mihi continuo maximas gratias agant, Cic. Fam. 9, 14, 1; 10, 12, 2: ut vel continuo patuit, cum, etc., Hor. S. 2, 8, 29: ne mora sit, si innuerim, quin pugnus continuo in malā haereat, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 17: si quid narrare occepi, continuo dari Tibi verba censes, forthwith you think, etc., id. And. 3, 2, 24; cf. id. Eun. 1, 2, 24; Lucr. 2, 1091; Hor. S. 2, 3, 160: continuo consilium dimisit (Q. Maximus), simulac me fractum ac debilitatum metu viderit, Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121.
          2. (β) Absol.: continuo, ventis surgentibus, aut freta ponti Incipiunt agitata tumescere, etc., Verg. G. 1, 356: continuo hic ero, Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 43: haud mora; continuo matris praecepta facessit, Verg. G. 4, 548; so Ov. M. 14, 362; cf. Quint. 12, 3, 3; corresp. with statim, Cic. Rosc. Com. 6, 17: quod lubet, non lubet jam id continuo, the next moment, immediately, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 10: hos prius intro ducam et quae volo Simul inperabo: poste continuo exeo, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 40: hanc mihi in manum dat; mors continuo ipsam occupat, id. And. 1, 5, 62: hercle ego te barbā continuo arripiam, et in ignem coniciam, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 64: egomet continuo mecum; certe captus est! I immediately thought within myself, Ter. And. 1, 1, 55: senatus est continuo convocatus, Cic. Fam. 10, 12, 3: hos continuo in itinere adorti, Caes. B. G. 7, 42 fin.: subitae necessitates continuo agendi, on the spot, immediately, Quint. 10, 7, 2 et saep.: perturbationes, amplificatae certe, pestiferae sunt; igitur etiam susceptae continuo in magnā pestis parte versantur, even immediately on their inception, Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42; cf. id. Fin. 3, 9, 32.
      2. 2. Of a point of time closely following a time named, speedily, without interval: deinde absens factus aedilis, continuo praetor, Cic. Ac. 2, 1, 1: qui summam spem civium, quam de eo jam puero habuerant, continuo adulescens incredibili virtute superavit, id. Lael. 3, 11.
      3. 3. Esp., with the statement of a logical consequence from a fact; only in connection with a negative, or a question implying a negative, not by consequence, not necessarily, not as an immediate consequence, in questions; perhaps then? perhaps therefore? (very freq. in Cic.); with si: non continuo, si me in gregem sicariorum contuli, sum sicarius, Cic. Rosc. Am. 33, 94; so id. de Or. 2, 48, 199; Gai Inst. 2, 204.
        With cum, Manil. 2, 345.
        Absol.: cum nec omnes, qui curari se passi sunt, continuo etiam convalescant, Cic. Tusc. 3, 3, 5; so, ego summum dolorem … non continuo dico esse brevem, id. ib. 2, 19, 45: aeque enim contingit omnibus fidibus, ut incontentae sint; illud non continuo, ut aeque incontentae, id. Fin. 4, 27, 75: si malo careat, continuone fruitur summo bono? id. Tusc. 3, 18, 40; so, continuone si? etc., Quint. 9, 2, 84.
    2. B. In Quint. twice (for the ante- and post-class. continue), in an uninterrupted series, one after another, continuously: qualis (labor) fuit illius, qui grana ciceris ex spatio distante missa, in acum continuo et sine frustratione inserebat, Quint. 2, 20, 3; 9, 1, 11.