Adjacent Words

Contract definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONTRACT, v.t. [L., to draw. See Draw.]
1. To draw together or nearer; to draw into a less compass, either in length or breadth; to shorten; to abridge; to narrow; to lessen; as, to contract an inclosure; to contract the faculties; to contract the period of life; to contract the sphere of action.
2. To draw the parts together; to wrinkle; as, to contract the brow.
3. To betroth; to affiance. A contracted his daughter to B. The lady was contracted to a man of merit.
4. To draw to; to bring on; to incur; to gain. We contract vicious habits by indulgence. We contract debt by extravagance.
5. To shorten by omission of a letter or syllable; as, to contract a word.
6. To epitomize; to abridge; as, to contract an essay.
CONTRACT, v.i.
1. To shrink; to become shorter or narrower.
Many bodies contract by the application of cold.
A hempen cord contracts by moisture.
2. To bargain; to make a mutual agreement, as between two or more persons. We have contracted for a load of flour; or we have contracted with a farmer for a quantity of provisions.
CONTRACT, for contracted, pp. Affianced; betrothed.
CONTRACT, n.
1. An agreement or covenant between two or more persons, in which each party binds himself to do or forbear some act, and each acquires a right to what the other promises; a mutual promise upon lawful consideration or promise upon lawful consideration or cause, which binds the parties to a performance; a bargain; a compact. Contracts are executory or executed.
2. The act by which a man and woman are betrothed, each to the other.
3. The writing which contains the agreement of parties with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law
2: (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make [syn: contract, declaration]
3: a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid [syn: contract, contract bridge] v
1: enter into a contractual arrangement [syn: contract, undertake]
2: engage by written agreement; "They signed two new pitchers for the next season" [syn: sign, contract, sign on, sign up]
3: squeeze or press together; "she compressed her lips"; "the spasm contracted the muscle" [syn: compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, contract, press]
4: be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness; "He got AIDS"; "She came down with pneumonia"; "She took a chill" [syn: contract, take, get]
5: become smaller or draw together; "The fabric shrank"; "The balloon shrank" [syn: shrink, contract] [ant: expand, spread out, stretch]
6: make smaller; "The heat contracted the woollen garment"
7: compress or concentrate; "Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan" [syn: condense, concentrate, contract]
8: make or become more narrow or restricted; "The selection was narrowed"; "The road narrowed" [syn: narrow, contract] [ant: widen]
9: reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened" [syn: abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, contract, reduce] [ant: dilate, elaborate, enlarge, expand, expatiate, exposit, expound, flesh out, lucubrate]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin contractus, from contrahere to draw together, make a contract, reduce in size, from com- + trahere to draw Date: 14th century 1. a. a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties; especially one legally enforceable b. a business arrangement for the supply of goods or services at a fixed price <make parts on contract> c. the act of marriage or an agreement to marry 2. a document describing the terms of a contract 3. the final bid to win a specified number of tricks in bridge 4. an order or arrangement for a hired assassin to kill someone <his enemies put out a contract on him> II. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French contracter to agree upon, from Latin contractus Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to bring on oneself especially inadvertently ; incur <contracting debts> b. to become affected with <contract pneumonia> 2. a. to establish or undertake by contract <contract a job> b. betroth; also to establish (a marriage) formally c. (1) to hire by contract <contract a lawyer> (2) to purchase (as goods or services) on a contract basis — often used with out 3. a. limit, restrict <contract the scope of their activities> b. knit, wrinkle <frown contracted his brow> c. to draw together ; concentrate 4. to reduce to smaller size by or as if by squeezing or forcing together <contract a muscle> 5. to shorten (as a word) by omitting one or more sounds or letters intransitive verb 1. to make a contract 2. to draw together so as to become diminished in size <metal contracts on cooling>; also to become less in compass, duration, or length <muscle contracts in tetanus> • contractibility noun • contractible adjective Synonyms: contract, shrink, condense, compress, constrict, deflate mean to decrease in bulk or volume. contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length <caused her muscles to contract>. shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions <the sweater will shrink when washed>. condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content <condense the essay into a paragraph>. compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance <compressed cotton into bales>. constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter <the throat is constricted by a tight collar>. deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas <deflate the balloon>. III. adjective Date: 1936 hired to execute a contract <a contract worker> <a contract killer>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a written or spoken agreement between two or more parties, intended to be enforceable by law. 2 a document recording this. 3 marriage regarded as a binding commitment. 4 Bridge etc. an undertaking to win the number of tricks bid. --v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become smaller. 2 a intr. (usu. foll. by with) make a contract. b intr. (usu. foll. by for, or to + infin.) enter formally into a business or legal arrangement. c tr. (often foll. by out) arrange (work) to be done by contract. 3 tr. catch or develop (a disease). 4 tr. form or develop (a friendship, habit, etc.). 5 tr. enter into (marriage). 6 tr. incur (a debt etc.). 7 tr. shorten (a word) by combination or elision. 8 tr. draw (one's muscles, brow, etc.) together. Phrases and idioms: contract bridge the most common form of bridge, in which only tricks bid and won count towards the game. contract in (or out) (also refl.) Brit. choose to be involved in (or withdraw or remain out of) a scheme or commitment. Derivatives: contractive adj. Etymology: earlier as adj., = contracted: OF, f. L contractus (as COM-, trahere tract- draw)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dependent De*pend"ent, a. [L. dependens, -entis, p. pr. dependere. See Depend, and cf. Dependant.] 1. Hanging down; as, a dependent bough or leaf. 2. Relying on, or subject to, something else for support; not able to exist, or sustain itself, or to perform anything, without the will, power, or aid of something else; not self-sustaining; contingent or conditioned; subordinate; -- often with on or upon; as, dependent on God; dependent upon friends. England, long dependent and degraded, was again a power of the first rank. --Macaulay. Dependent covenant or contract (Law), one not binding until some connecting stipulation is performed. Dependent variable (Math.), a varying quantity whose changes are arbitrary, but are regarded as produced by changes in another variable, which is called the independent variable.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wager Wa"ger, n. Wagering, or gambling, contract. A contract which is of the nature of wager. Contracts of this nature include various common forms of valid commercial contracts, as contracts of insurance, contracts dealing in futures, options, etc. Other wagering contracts and bets are now generally made illegal by statute against betting and gambling, and wagering has in many cases been made a criminal offence. Wages Wa"ges, n. pl. (Theoretical Economics) The share of the annual product or national dividend which goes as a reward to labor, as distinct from the remuneration received by capital in its various forms. This economic or technical sense of the word wages is broader than the current sense, and includes not only amounts actually paid to laborers, but the remuneration obtained by those who sell the products of their own work, and the wages of superintendence or management, which are earned by skill in directing the work of others.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contract Con*tract", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Contracted; p. pr. & vb. n. Contracting.] [L. contractus, p. p. of contrahere to contract; con- + trahere to draw: cf. F. contracter. See Trace, and cf. Contract, n.] 1. To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lessen; as, to contract one's sphere of action. In all things desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. --Dr. H. More. 2. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit. Thou didst contract and purse thy brow. --Shak. 3. To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. Each from each contract new strength and light. --Pope. Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high station. --Swift. 4. To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for. We have contracted an inviolable amity, peace, and lague with the aforesaid queen. --Hakluyt. Many persons . . . had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity . . . prohibited by law. --Strype. 5. To betroth; to affiance. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. --Shak. 6. (Gram.) To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one. Syn: To shorten; abridge; epitomize; narrow; lessen; condense; reduce; confine; incur; assume.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contract Con*tract", v. i. 1. To be drawn together so as to be diminished in size or extent; to shrink; to be reduced in compass or in duration; as, iron contracts in cooling; a rope contracts when wet. Years contracting to a moment. --Wordsworth. 2. To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contract Con"tract, a. Contracted; as, a contract verb. --Goodwin.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contract Con*tract", a. [L. contractus, p. p.] Contracted; affianced; betrothed. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contract Con"tract, n. [L. contractus, fr. contrahere: cf. F. contrat, formerly also contract.] 1. (Law) The agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights. --Wharton. 2. A formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation. 3. The act of formally betrothing a man and woman. This is the the night of the contract. --Longwellow. Syn: Covenant; agreement; compact; stipulation; bargain; arrangement; obligation. See Covenant.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(contracted) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A contract is a legal agreement, usually between two companies or between an employer and employee, which involves doing work for a stated sum of money. The company won a prestigious contract for work on Europe's tallest building... He was given a seven-year contract with an annual salary of $150,000. N-COUNT 2. If you contract with someone to do something, you legally agree to do it for them or for them to do it for you. (FORMAL) You can contract with us to deliver your cargo... The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has already contracted to lease part of its collection to a museum in Japan. VERB: V with n to-inf, V to-inf 3. When something contracts or when something contracts it, it becomes smaller or shorter. Blood is only expelled from the heart when it contracts... New research shows that an excess of meat and salt can contract muscles. VERB: V, V n • contraction (contractions) ...the contraction and expansion of blood vessels... Foods and fluids are mixed in the stomach by its muscular contractions. N-VAR 4. When something such as an economy or market contracts, it becomes smaller. The manufacturing economy contracted in October for the sixth consecutive month. VERB: V 5. If you contract a serious illness, you become ill with it. (FORMAL) He contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion... Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer contracted by women. VERB: no cont, V n, V-ed 6. If you contract a marriage, alliance, or other relationship with someone, you arrange to have that relationship with them. (FORMAL) She contracted a formal marriage to a British ex-serviceman. = enter into VERB: V n 7. If there is a contract on a person or on their life, someone has made an arrangement to have them killed. (INFORMAL) The convictions resulted in the local crime bosses putting a contract on him... N-COUNT: usu N on n 8. If you are under contract to someone, you have signed a contract agreeing to work for them, and for no-one else, during a fixed period of time. The director wanted Olivia de Havilland, then under contract to Warner Brothers. PHRASE: oft PHR to n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Lessen, shorten, narrow, diminish, abridge, reduce, epitomize, draw together. 2. Incur, make, get, take, catch, absorb take in. II. v. n. 1. Shrivel, shrink, shrink up, draw in. 2. Agree, stipulate, bargain, covenant, make a bargain. III. n. Compact, bargain, stipulation, covenant, convention, concordat, treaty, agreement, pact, arrangement.

Moby Thesaurus

OD, abbreviate, abridge, abstract, accept obligation, accord, acquire, affair, affiance, afflict, agree, agree to, agreement, answer for, arrangement, attempt, bag, bang, bar, bargain, bargain for, barricade, batten, batten down, be answerable for, be brought down, be felled, be responsible for, be security for, be seized of, be struck down, be traumatized, become engaged, betroth, bind, binding agreement, bob, boil down, bolt, bond, break out, bring down, bring on, bring upon, business, button, button up, capsulize, capture, cartel, catch, catch cold, cause, choke, choke off, circumscribe, clap, clip, close, close up, coarct, collapse, collective agreement, come by, come down with, come in for, come into, commit, commitment, compact, compress, concentrate, condense, confine, consolidate, consortium, constrict, constringe, contain, contract an engagement, convention, corral, corrugate, covenant, covenant of salt, cover, cramp, crease, crop, curtail, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off short, cut short, deal, decline, decrease, derange, derive, develop, dicker, diminish, disorder, do a deal, dock, drag down, draw, draw in, draw together, dwindle, earn, effort, elide, employment contract, engage, engagement, enter into possession, enterprise, epitomize, erupt, fail, fall in with, fall into, fasten, fever, fold, fold up, foreshorten, formal agreement, gain, get, go bail for, go in, go into shock, harvest, have an understanding, incur, indispose, induce, invite, ironclad agreement, key, knit, latch, legal agreement, legal contract, lessen, limit, lock, lock out, lock up, make, make a deal, minify, mow, mutual agreement, narrow, net, nip, obligate, obligation, obtain, occlude, operation, overdose, pact, paction, padlock, plan, plight, plumb, poll, pollard, preengagement, procure, program, project, promise, proposition, protocol, prune, publish the banns, pucker, pucker up, pull down, purse, reap, recap, recapitulate, recognizance, reduce, restrict, retrench, run, run a temperature, sack, scale down, score, seal, seal off, seal up, secure, shake hands on, shave, shear, shorten, shrink, shut, shut the door, shut up, sicken, sink, slam, snap, snape, snub, solidify, squeeze, squeeze shut, stipulate, stipulation, straiten, strangle, strangulate, stunt, succumb to, sum up, summarize, synopsize, take, take ill, take in, take the vows, taper, task, telescope, transaction, treaty, trim, troth, truncate, understanding, undertake, undertaking, union contract, upset, valid contract, venture, verbal agreement, wage contract, weaken, welcome, win, work, wrinkle, zip up, zipper