contiguous

Everyday

1. (formal) Contiguous things touch each other or share a border, with no gap between them. tree →
2. (formal) Contiguous also means next to each other in a row or in time, one straight after another. tree →

In the lessons

In geography, «the contiguous United States» means the 48 states that touch each other, leaving out Alaska and Hawaii. In maths and computing it describes blocks, squares or numbers that sit side by side without gaps. It is an exam and textbook word; in everyday talk people say «touching», «next to» or «joined».

Examples

• The contiguous United States are the 48 states that join together on the map. tree →
• France and Spain are contiguous countries. tree →
• Colour in four contiguous squares on the grid to make a line. tree →
• The two gardens are contiguous, so the dog runs from one to the other. tree →
• The farm is made of three contiguous fields. tree →
• The class read five contiguous pages without stopping. tree →

Note

Formal word; everyday words are «touching», «adjacent», «neighbouring». Noun: contiguity. In a maths problem, contiguous squares or numbers come one after another with nothing missing (for example 4, 5, 6).