Thesaurus: contraction

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Definitions

1. n. The act or process of contracting, shortening, or shrinking; the state of being contracted; as, contraction of the heart, of the pupil of the eye, or of a tendion; the contraction produced by cold.
2. n. The process of shortening an operation.
3. n. The act of incurring or becoming subject to, as liabilities, obligation, debts, etc.; the process of becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a disease.
4. n. word/something">Something word/contracted">contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal conversation, etc.
5. n. The word/shortening">shortening of a word, or of two words, by the omission of a letter or letters, or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as, ne'er for never; can't for can not; don't for do not; it's for it is.
6. n. A marriage contract.
7. n. (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)
8. n. the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together
9. n. a word word/formed">formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds
10. n. the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope
11. 1. The act or process of contracting, shortening, or shrinking; the state of being contracted; as, contraction of the heart, of the pupil of the eye, or of a tendion; the contraction produced by cold. 2. (Math.) The process of shortening an operation. 3. The act of incurring or becoming subject to, as liabilities, obligation, debts, etc.; the process of becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a disease. 4. Something contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal conversation, etc. 5. (Gram.) The shortening of a word, or of two words, by the omission of a letter or letters, or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as, ne'er for never; can't for can not; don't for do not; it's for it is. 6. A marriage contract. [Obs.] Shak.
12. n:100 n. (word/physiology">physiology) a word/shortening">shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber) n. a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds n. the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope