Definition of contraction Contraction

/kʌntɹæˈkʃʌn/ - [kuntrakshun] - con•trac•tion

We found 25 definitions of contraction from 6 different sources.

What does contraction mean?

Noun Plural: contractions
contraction - (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)
		muscular contraction, muscle contraction
		shortening act of decreasing in length; "the dress needs shortening"
		physiology processes and functions of an organism
		contracture an abnormal and usually permanent contraction of a muscle
		tetanus a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses
		uterine contraction a rhythmic tightening in labor of the upper uterine musculature that contracts the size of the uterus and pushes the fetus toward the birth canal
		braxton-hicks contraction, false labor painless contractions of the muscles of the uterus that continue throughout pregnancy with increasing frequency
contraction - the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope
		step-down, diminution, reduction, decrease the statement of a theme in notes of lesser duration (usually half the length of the original)
contraction - 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'"
contraction - the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together; "the contraction of a gas on cooling"
		compression, condensation
		shrinking, shrinkage the act of becoming less

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contraction (Noun)
A reversible reduction in size.
contraction (Noun)
A period of economic decline or negative growth.
contraction (Noun)
A shortening of a muscle when it is used.
contraction (Noun)
A strong and often painful shortening of the uterine muscles prior to or during childbirth.
contraction (Noun)
A process whereby one or more sounds of a free morpheme a word are lost or reduced, such that it becomes a bound morpheme a clitic that attaches phonologically to an adjacent word.
contraction (Noun)
A word with omitted letters replaced by an apostrophe, usually resulting from the above process.
contraction (Noun)
Contracting a disease.
contraction (Noun)
Syncope, the loss of sounds from within a word.
contraction (Noun)
The acquisition of something, generally negative.
contraction (Noun)
A distinct stage of wound healing, wherein the wound edges are gradually pulled together.

contraction (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.
contraction (n.)
The process of shortening an operation.
contraction (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.
contraction (n.)
Something contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal conversation, etc.
contraction (n.)
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.
contraction (n.)
A marriage contract.

contraction
A shortening of a word, syllable, or word group by omission of internal letters.
contraction
Painful rhythmic motion of the muscles of the uterus before and during childbirth.
contraction
(Anatomy) The generation of a pulling force while shortening, a highly developed ability in muscle cells.

A contraction is a word used instead of two words to shorten them. For example, the contraction "can't" means "can not". An apostrophe takes the place of the letter that was in the words. For example, an apostrophe goes in place of the o in "not" when "do not" is shortened to "don't".