(transitive, intransitive) To draw together or nearer; to shorten, narrow, or lessen. / (grammar) To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.

A reversible reduction in size. / (economics) A period of economic decline or negative growth. / (biology) A shortening of a muscle during its use.

An agreement between two or more parties, to perform a specific job or work order, often temporary or of fixed duration and usually governed by a written agreement.

(not comparable) Arranged by contract; established by agreement. / Made smaller by contraction. / Incurred; acquired.

The act of something that contracts or shrinks; contraction. / Work done on a contract basis.

simple past tense and past participle of contract

Getting smaller; drawing itself together into a smaller area.

present participle of contract

plural of contract

plural of contraction