continuous adj.

c. 1300, "restrain (someone), control (oneself), behave (in a certain way)," from Old French contein-, tonic stem of contenir, from Latin continere (transitive) "to hold together, enclose," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + tenere "to hold" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch").

From mid-14c. as "to have (something) as a constituent part;" from late 14c. as "have something inside, enclose." Related: Contained; containing; containable.

early 14c., continuell, "proceeding without interruption or cessation; often repeated, very frequent," from Old French continuel (12c.) and directly from Latin continuus "joining, connecting with something; following one after another," from continere (intransitive) "to be uninterrupted," literally "to hang together" (see contain).

That which is continual is that which is either always going on or recurs at short intervals and never comes to an end; that which is continuous is that in which there is no break between the beginning and the end. Related: Continually "always, incessantly, constantly" (c. 1300, contynuelliche).

brand name of an oxycodone compound marketed in U.S. from 1996. Second element from continuous (i.e. "time-released").