contraction

Definitions

1. 1noun

   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. 2noun

   The process of shortening an operation.

3. 3noun

   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. 4noun

   Something contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal conversation, etc.

5. 5noun

   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. 6noun

   A marriage contract.

7. 7noun

   the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope

8. 8noun

   (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)

9. 9noun

   a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds

   "`won't' is a contraction of `will not'"

   "`o'clock' is a contraction of `of the clock'"

10. 10noun

    the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together

    "the contraction of a gas on cooling"

    Synonyms

    compressioncondensation