contract

[ noun, adjective, verb 15–17, 21, 22 kon-trakt; verb kuhn-trakt ]

/ noun, adjective, verb 15–17, 21, 22 ˈkɒn trækt; verb kənˈtrækt /

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noun

an agreement between two or more parties for the doing or not doing of something specified.

an agreement enforceable by law.

the written form of such an agreement.

the division of law dealing with contracts.

Also called contract bridge. a variety of bridge in which the side that wins the bid can earn toward game only that number of tricks named in the contract, additional points being credited above the line.Compare auction bridge.

(in auction or contract bridge)

a commitment by the declarer and his or her partner to take six tricks plus the number specified by the final bid made.
the final bid itself.
the number of tricks so specified, plus six.

the formal agreement of marriage; betrothal.

Slang. an arrangement for a hired assassin to kill a specific person.

adjective

under contract; governed or arranged by special contract: a contract carrier.

verb (used with object)

to draw together or into smaller compass; draw the parts of together: to contract a muscle.

to wrinkle: to contract the brows.

to shorten (a word, phrase, etc.) by combining or omitting some of its elements: Contracting “do not” yields “don't.”

to get or acquire, as by exposure to something contagious: to contract a disease.

to incur, as a liability or obligation: to contract a debt.

to settle or establish by agreement: to contract an alliance.

to assign (a job, work, project, etc.) by contract: The publisher contracted the artwork.

to enter into an agreement with: to contract a free-lancer to do the work.

to enter into (friendship, acquaintance, etc.).

to betroth.

verb (used without object)

to become drawn together or reduced in compass; become smaller; shrink: The pupils of his eyes contracted in the light.

to enter into an agreement: to contract for snow removal.

Verb Phrases

contract out, to hire an outside contractor to produce or do.

Nearby words

contraception, contraceptive, contraceptive device, contraceptive sponge, contraclockwise, contract, contract bond, contract bridge, contract furniture, contract labor, contract of employment

Idioms

put out a contract on, Slang. to hire or attempt to hire an assassin to kill (someone): The mob put out a contract on the informer.

Origin of contract

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin contractus undertaking a transaction, agreement, equivalent to contrac-, variant stem of contrahere to draw in, bring together, enter into an agreement (con- con- + trahere to drag, pull; cf. traction) + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) < Latin contractus, past participle of contrahere

SYNONYMS FOR contract

10 reduce, shorten, lessen, narrow, shrivel, shrink.

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ANTONYMS FOR contract

10 expand.

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Related forms

con·tract·ee, nouncon·tract·i·ble, adjectivecon·tract·i·bil·i·ty, con·tract·i·ble·ness, nouncon·tract·i·bly, adverb

non·con·tract, adjectiveo·ver·con·tract, verb (used with object)post·con·tract, nounre·con·tract, verb (used with object)

Synonym study

1. See agreement. 10. Contract, compress, concentrate, condense imply retaining original content but reducing the amount of space occupied. Contract means to cause to draw more closely together: to contract a muscle. Compress suggests fusing to become smaller by means of fairly uniform external pressure: to compress gases into liquid form. Concentrate implies causing to gather around a point: to concentrate troops near an objective; to concentrate one's strength. Condense implies increasing the compactness, or thickening the consistency of a homogeneous mass: to condense milk. It is also used to refer to the reducing in length of a book or the like.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for contracting

As the New York Times writes, the risk of contracting Ebola in this country remains "vanishingly small."
The Sham, Scaremongering Guide to Ebola|Abby Haglage|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it is unfounded fear by an American public at minimal risk of contracting the illness that is confounding those efforts.
Quarantine Turns Ebola Heroes Into Pariahs|Russell Saunders|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The military maintains that the risk of contracting the virus is minimal.
U.S. Soldiers Get Just Four Hours of Ebola Training|Tim Mak|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the overwhelming majority of people in this country, the likelihood of contracting it is fleetingly small.
Parents’ Ebola Panic Is Taking Over My Clinic|Russell Saunders|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

What remains unclear is just how many women McFarland may have knowingly put in danger of contracting HIV.
Alabama Church Says HIV-Positive Preacher Slept With Flock|Matthew Paul Turner|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For a character it had been contracting during its sojourn in the body, a character of its own.
The Life of the Waiting Soul|R. E. Sanderson
In contracting for $600,000 worth of machinery, the machinery people would take half of the amount in stock.
The Rise of Cotton Mills in the South|Broadus Mitchell
Duane, with blurred sight and contracting throat, gripped his uncle's hand and bade him a wordless farewell.
The Lone Star Ranger|Zane Grey
Let this be our daily work and exercise; for we are daily contracting new filth.
Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life|John Brown (of Wamphray)
One or two copies were made of the contract and were kept by either or both of the contracting parties.
Mesopotamian Archaeology|Percy S. P. Handcock

British Dictionary definitions for contracting

contract

verb (kənˈtrækt)

to make or become smaller, narrower, shorter, etcmetals contract as the temperature is reduced

(ˈkɒntrækt) (when intr, sometimes foll by for; when tr, may take an infinitive) to enter into an agreement with (a person, company, etc) to deliver (goods or services) or to do (something) on mutually agreed and binding terms, often in writing

to draw or be drawn together; coalesce or cause to coalesce

(tr) to acquire, incur, or become affected by (a disease, liability, debt, etc)

(tr) to shorten (a word or phrase) by the omission of letters or syllables, usually indicated in writing by an apostrophe

phonetics to unite (two vowels) or (of two vowels) to be united within a word or at a word boundary so that a new long vowel or diphthong is formed

(tr) to wrinkle or draw together (the brow or a muscle)

(tr) to arrange (a marriage) for; betroth

noun (ˈkɒntrækt)

a formal agreement between two or more parties

a document that states the terms of such an agreement

the branch of law treating of contracts

marriage considered as a formal agreement

See contract bridge

bridge

(in the bidding sequence before play) the highest bid, which determines trumps and the number of tricks one side must try to make
the number and suit of these tricks

slang

a criminal agreement to kill a particular person in return for an agreed sum of money
(as modifier)a contract killing

Derived Forms

contractible, adjectivecontractibly, adverb

Word Origin for contract

C16: from Latin contractus agreement, something drawn up, from contrahere to draw together, from trahere to draw

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

Medicine definitions for contracting

contract

[ kən-trăkt′, kŏn′trăkt′ ]

v.

To reduce in size by drawing together.

To become reduced in size by or as if by being drawn together, as the pupil of the eye.

To acquire or incur by contagion or infection.

Culture definitions for contracting

contract

A legally binding agreement between two or more parties.