contraction

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. Source: opted

2. n. The process of shortening an operation. Source: opted

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. Source: opted

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. Source: opted

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. Source: opted

6. n. A marriage contract. Source: opted

7. n. (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber) Source: wordnet

8. n. the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together Source: wordnet

9. n. a word word/formed">formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds Source: wordnet

10. n. the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope Source: wordnet

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. Source: webster

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 Source: ecdict

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