contraction

[ kuhn-trak-shuhn ]

/ kənˈtræk ʃən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR contraction ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an act or instance of contracting.

the quality or state of being contracted.

a shortened form of a word or group of words, with the omitted letters often replaced in written English by an apostrophe, as e'er for ever, isn't for is not, dep't for department.

Physiology. the change in a muscle by which it becomes thickened and shortened.

a restriction or withdrawal, as of currency or of funds available as call money.

a decrease in economic and industrial activity (opposed to expansion).

Origin of contraction

1375–1425; late Middle English (<Middle French ) <Latin contractiōn- (stem of contractiō), equivalent to contract(us) drawn together, past participle of contrahere (see contract) + -iōn--ion

usage note for contraction

Contractions such as isn't, couldn't, can't, weren't, he'll, they're occur chiefly, although not exclusively, in informal speech and writing. They are common in personal letters, business letters, journalism, and fiction; they are rare in scientific and scholarly writing. Contractions occur in formal writing mainly as representations of speech.

OTHER WORDS FROM contraction

con·trac·tion·al, adjectivenon·con·trac·tion, nouno·ver·con·trac·tion, nounre·con·trac·tion, noun

Words nearby contraction

contracted kidney, contracted pelvis, contract furniture, contractile, contractile vacuole, contraction, contraction joint, contractive, contract labor, contract of employment, contractor

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for contraction

The economy’s deep contraction was heavily driven by services.
A country that escaped a recession in 2008 is officially in one now|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 2, 2020|Fortune
In the cyclic universe, however, the smoothing happens during a period of contraction.
Big Bounce Simulations Challenge the Big Bang|Charlie Wood|August 4, 2020|Quanta Magazine
When it comes to visualizing expansion and contraction, people often focus on a balloonlike universe whose change in size is described by a “scale factor.”
Big Bounce Simulations Challenge the Big Bang|Charlie Wood|August 4, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The expected population contraction will be due to dropping fertility rates with death rates being either at par with or faster than birth rates in several countries.
Africa’s population will triple by the end of the century even as the rest of the world shrinks|Yomi Kazeem|July 16, 2020|Quartz

The varying rates of contraction will be most extreme in countries like Thailand, Japan and Spain along with 20 others, where declines could see their populations halved by 2100, a new Lancet report on fertility and population growth scenarios shows.
Africa’s population will triple by the end of the century even as the rest of the world shrinks|Yomi Kazeem|July 16, 2020|Quartz
“The regime army is in a state of contraction,” says Mustafa Sheikh, the head of the rebel Free Syrian Army.
Inside Bashar al-Assad’s Army|Mike Giglio|December 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Megan: So let's start with the contraction of the market for lawyers: do we know what's causing it?
The Perils of Law School|Megan McArdle|September 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
If that contraction has continued over the summer, we call it a recession.
The Eurozone: A Sinking Ship|David Frum|August 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The increase in public payrolls was helping to offset the contraction of private ones.
A Secret the Republicans Know But Will Never Admit|Michael Tomasky|June 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
As a result the U.S.—and the world—economy experienced 12 successive quarters of contraction.
Why Keynes Is King|Robert Skidelsky|October 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Varnish, when at a certain temperature, is susceptible of contraction when any colder body is brought in contact with it.
Practical Carriage and Wagon Painting|Mayton Clarence Hillick
If sufficient care be taken to prevent their entrance, the contraction of the disease can be absolutely prevented.
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume IV. (of IV.)|Grant Hague
The contraction is accomplished through the vigorous drawing together of the central bundle of muscles at the brow.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross
This results in a slightly depressed cicatrix, which happily, however, shows but slight tendency to contraction.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4|Various
Schapiro has reported a case of expiratory "spasm" due to contraction of the buccinators.
Tics and Their Treatment|Henry Meigne

British Dictionary definitions for contraction

contraction

/ (kənˈtrækʃən) /

noun

an instance of contracting or the state of being contracted

physiol any normal shortening or tensing of an organ or part, esp of a muscle, e.g. during childbirth

pathol any abnormal tightening or shrinking of an organ or part

a shortening of a word or group of words, often marked in written English by an apostropheI've come for I have come

Derived forms of contraction

contractive, adjectivecontractively, adverbcontractiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for contraction

contraction

A word produced by running two or more words together and leaving out some of the letters or sounds. For example, isn't is a contraction of is not.

notes for contraction

An apostrophe is generally used in contractions to show where letters or sounds have been left out.

Medical definitions for contraction

contraction

[ kən-trăk′shən ]

n.

The act of contracting or the state of being contracted.

The shortening and thickening of functioning muscle or muscle fiber.

Scientific definitions for contraction

contraction

[ kən-trăk′shən ]

The shortening and thickening of a muscle for the purpose of exerting force on or causing movement of a body part. See more at muscle.

单词	contraction
释义	contraction [ kuhn-trak-shuhn ] / kənˈtræk ʃən / SEE SYNONYMS FOR contraction ON THESAURUS.COM noun an act or instance of contracting. the quality or state of being contracted. a shortened form of a word or group of words, with the omitted letters often replaced in written English by an apostrophe, as e'er for ever, isn't for is not, dep't for department. Physiology. the change in a muscle by which it becomes thickened and shortened. a restriction or withdrawal, as of currency or of funds available as call money. a decrease in economic and industrial activity (opposed to expansion). Origin of contraction 1375–1425; late Middle English (<Middle French ) <Latin contractiōn- (stem of contractiō), equivalent to contract(us) drawn together, past participle of contrahere (see contract) + -iōn--ion usage note for contraction Contractions such as isn't, couldn't, can't, weren't, he'll, they're occur chiefly, although not exclusively, in informal speech and writing. They are common in personal letters, business letters, journalism, and fiction; they are rare in scientific and scholarly writing. Contractions occur in formal writing mainly as representations of speech. OTHER WORDS FROM contraction con·trac·tion·al, adjectivenon·con·trac·tion, nouno·ver·con·trac·tion, nounre·con·trac·tion, noun Words nearby contraction contracted kidney, contracted pelvis, contract furniture, contractile, contractile vacuole, contraction, contraction joint, contractive, contract labor, contract of employment, contractor Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for contraction The economy’s deep contraction was heavily driven by services. A country that escaped a recession in 2008 is officially in one now\|Claire Zillman, reporter\|September 2, 2020\|Fortune In the cyclic universe, however, the smoothing happens during a period of contraction. Big Bounce Simulations Challenge the Big Bang\|Charlie Wood\|August 4, 2020\|Quanta Magazine When it comes to visualizing expansion and contraction, people often focus on a balloonlike universe whose change in size is described by a “scale factor.” Big Bounce Simulations Challenge the Big Bang\|Charlie Wood\|August 4, 2020\|Quanta Magazine The expected population contraction will be due to dropping fertility rates with death rates being either at par with or faster than birth rates in several countries. Africa’s population will triple by the end of the century even as the rest of the world shrinks\|Yomi Kazeem\|July 16, 2020\|Quartz The varying rates of contraction will be most extreme in countries like Thailand, Japan and Spain along with 20 others, where declines could see their populations halved by 2100, a new Lancet report on fertility and population growth scenarios shows. Africa’s population will triple by the end of the century even as the rest of the world shrinks\|Yomi Kazeem\|July 16, 2020\|Quartz “The regime army is in a state of contraction,” says Mustafa Sheikh, the head of the rebel Free Syrian Army. Inside Bashar al-Assad’s Army\|Mike Giglio\|December 10, 2012\|DAILY BEAST Megan: So let's start with the contraction of the market for lawyers: do we know what's causing it? The Perils of Law School\|Megan McArdle\|September 24, 2012\|DAILY BEAST If that contraction has continued over the summer, we call it a recession. The Eurozone: A Sinking Ship\|David Frum\|August 14, 2012\|DAILY BEAST The increase in public payrolls was helping to offset the contraction of private ones. A Secret the Republicans Know But Will Never Admit\|Michael Tomasky\|June 11, 2012\|DAILY BEAST As a result the U.S.—and the world—economy experienced 12 successive quarters of contraction. Why Keynes Is King\|Robert Skidelsky\|October 13, 2009\|DAILY BEAST Varnish, when at a certain temperature, is susceptible of contraction when any colder body is brought in contact with it. Practical Carriage and Wagon Painting\|Mayton Clarence Hillick If sufficient care be taken to prevent their entrance, the contraction of the disease can be absolutely prevented. The Eugenic Marriage, Volume IV. (of IV.)\|Grant Hague The contraction is accomplished through the vigorous drawing together of the central bundle of muscles at the brow. Criminal Psychology\|Hans Gross This results in a slightly depressed cicatrix, which happily, however, shows but slight tendency to contraction. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4\|Various Schapiro has reported a case of expiratory "spasm" due to contraction of the buccinators. Tics and Their Treatment\|Henry Meigne British Dictionary definitions for contraction contraction / (kənˈtrækʃən) / noun an instance of contracting or the state of being contracted physiol any normal shortening or tensing of an organ or part, esp of a muscle, e.g. during childbirth pathol any abnormal tightening or shrinking of an organ or part a shortening of a word or group of words, often marked in written English by an apostropheI've come for I have come Derived forms of contraction contractive, adjectivecontractively, adverbcontractiveness, noun Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Content related to contraction Why Is “Ain’t” Such A Controversial Word?While "ain't" is considered nonstandard, it is a perfectly valid word. It's very versatile—and much older than you may think. READ MORE Words related to contraction recession, shrinkage, reduction, decrease, deflation, condensation, reducing, compression, abridgment, evaporation, confinement, lessening, abbreviation, narrowing, omission, curtailment, withdrawal, diminution, shrinking, constriction Cultural definitions for contraction contraction A word produced by running two or more words together and leaving out some of the letters or sounds. For example, isn't is a contraction of is not. notes for contraction An apostrophe is generally used in contractions to show where letters or sounds have been left out. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Medical definitions for contraction contraction [ kən-trăk′shən ] n. The act of contracting or the state of being contracted. The shortening and thickening of functioning muscle or muscle fiber. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Scientific definitions for contraction contraction [ kən-trăk′shən ] The shortening and thickening of a muscle for the purpose of exerting force on or causing movement of a body part. See more at muscle. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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contraction

noun

Origin of contraction

usage note for contraction

OTHER WORDS FROM contraction

Words nearby contraction

Example sentences from the Web for contraction

British Dictionary definitions for contraction

noun

Derived forms of contraction

Content related to contraction

Words related to contraction

Cultural definitions for contraction

notes for contraction

Medical definitions for contraction

n.

Scientific definitions for contraction