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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONTRAST, v.t.
1. To set in opposition two or more figures of a like kind, with a view to show the difference or dissimilitude, and to manifest the superior excellence of the one by the inferiority of the other, or to exhibit the excellence of the one and the defects of the other in a more striking view; as, to contrast two picture or statues.
2. To exhibit differences or dissimilitude in painting and sculpture, by position or attitude, either of the whole figure or of its members; or to show to advantage by opposition or difference of position.
3. To set in opposition different things or qualities, to show the superior excellence of one to advantage.
To contrast the goodness of God with our rebellion, will tend to make us humble and thankful.
CONTRAST, n.
1. Opposition or dissimilitude of figures, by which one contributes to the visibility or effect of the other. Contrast, in this sense, is applicable to things of a similar kind. We never speak of a contrast between a man and a mountain, or between a dog and a tree; but we observe the contrast between an oak and a shrub, and between a palace and a cottage.
2. Opposition, or difference of position, attitude, etc., of figures, or of their several members; as in painting and sculpture.
3. Opposition of things or qualities; or the placing of opposite things in view, to exhibit the superior excellence of one to more advantage. What a contrast between modesty and impudence, or between a well-bred man and a clown!

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared; "in contrast to", "by contrast" [syn: contrast, direct contrast]
2: the act of distinguishing by comparing differences
3: a conceptual separation or distinction; "there is a narrow line between sanity and insanity" [syn: line, dividing line, demarcation, contrast]
4: the perceptual effect of the juxtaposition of very different colors
5: the range of optical density and tone on a photographic negative or print (or the extent to which adjacent areas on a television screen differ in brightness) v
1: put in opposition to show or emphasize differences; "The middle school teacher contrasted her best student's work with that of her weakest student"
2: to show differences when compared; be different; "the students contrast considerably in their artistic abilities" [syn: contrast, counterpoint]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: French contraster, from Middle French, to oppose, resist, alteration of contrester, from Vulgar Latin *contrastare, from Latin contra- + stare to stand — more at stand Date: 1646 transitive verb to set off in contrast ; compare or appraise in respect to differences <contrast European and American manners> — often used with to or with <contrasting her with other women — Victoria Sackville-West> intransitive verb to form a contrast Synonyms: see compare • contrastable adjective • contrastingly adverb II. noun Date: 1711 1. a. juxtaposition of dissimilar elements (as color, tone, or emotion) in a work of art b. degree of difference between the lightest and darkest parts of a picture 2. a. the difference or degree of difference between things having similar or comparable natures <the contrast between the two forms of government> b. comparison of similar objects to set off their dissimilar qualities ; the state of being so compared <the enforced simplicity in this diary…is in contrast to the intensity of his former life — Times Literary Supplement> 3. a person or thing that exhibits differences when compared with another

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a a juxtaposition or comparison showing striking differences. b a difference so revealed. 2 (often foll. by to) a thing or person having qualities noticeably different from another. 3 a the degree of difference between tones in a television picture or a photograph. b the change of apparent brightness or colour of an object caused by the juxtaposition of other objects. --v. (often foll. by with) 1 tr. distinguish or set together so as to reveal a contrast. 2 intr. have or show a contrast. Derivatives: contrastingly adv. contrastive adj. Etymology: F contraste, contraster, f. It. contrasto f. med.L contrastare (as CONTRA-, stare stand)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Polar Po"lar, a. [Cf. F. polaire. See Pole of the earth.] 1. Of or pertaining to one of the poles of the earth, or of a sphere; situated near, or proceeding from, one of the poles; as, polar regions; polar seas; polar winds. 2. Of or pertaining to the magnetic pole, or to the point to which the magnetic needle is directed. 3. (Geom.) Pertaining to, reckoned from, or having a common radiating point; as, polar co["o]rdinates. Polar axis, that axis of an astronomical instrument, as an equatorial, which is parallel to the earths axis. Polar bear (Zo["o]l.), a large bear (Ursus, or Thalarctos, maritimus) inhabiting the arctic regions. It sometimes measures nearly nine feet in length and weighs 1,600 pounds. It is partially amphibious, very powerful, and the most carnivorous of all the bears. The fur is white, tinged with yellow. Called also White bear. See Bear. Polar body, cell, or globule (Biol.), a minute cell which separates by karyokinesis from the ovum during its maturation. In the maturation of ordinary ova two polar bodies are formed, but in parthogenetic ova only one. The first polar body formed is usually larger than the second one, and often divides into two after its separation from the ovum. Each of the polar bodies removes maternal chromatin from the ovum to make room for the chromatin of the fertilizing spermatozo["o]n; but their functions are not fully understood. Polar circles (Astron. & Geog.), two circles, each at a distance from a pole of the earth equal to the obliquity of the ecliptic, or about 23[deg] 28', the northern called the arctic circle, and the southern the antarctic circle. Polar clock, a tube, containing a polarizing apparatus, turning on an axis parallel to that of the earth, and indicating the hour of the day on an hour circle, by being turned toward the plane of maximum polarization of the light of the sky, which is always 90[deg] from the sun. Polar co["o]rdinates. See under 3d Co["o]rdinate. Polar dial, a dial whose plane is parallel to a great circle passing through the poles of the earth. --Math. Dict. Polar distance, the angular distance of any point on a sphere from one of its poles, particularly of a heavenly body from the north pole of the heavens. Polar equation of a line or surface, an equation which expresses the relation between the polar co["o]rdinates of every point of the line or surface. Polar forces (Physics), forces that are developed and act in pairs, with opposite tendencies or properties in the two elements, as magnetism, electricity, etc. Polar hare (Zo["o]l.), a large hare of Arctic America (Lepus arcticus), which turns pure white in winter. It is probably a variety of the common European hare (L. timidus). Polar lights, the aurora borealis or australis. Polar, or Polaric, opposition or contrast (Logic), an opposition or contrast made by the existence of two opposite conceptions which are the extremes in a species, as white and black in colors; hence, as great an opposition or contrast as possible. Polar projection. See under Projection. Polar spherical triangle (Spherics), a spherical triangle whose three angular points are poles of the sides of a given triangle. See 4th Pole, 2. Polar whale (Zo["o]l.), the right whale, or bowhead. See Whale.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contrast Con*trast", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Contrasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Contrasting.] [F. contraster, LL. contrastare to resist, withstand, fr. L. contra + stare to stand. See Stand.] To stand in opposition; to exhibit difference, unlikeness, or opposition of qualities. The joints which divide the sandstone contrast finely with the divisional planes which separate the basalt into pillars. --Lyell.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contrast Con*trast", v. t. 1. To set in opposition, or over against, in order to show the differences between, or the comparative excellences and defects of; to compare by difference or contrariety of qualities; as, to contrast the present with the past. 2. (Fine Arts) To give greater effect to, as to a figure or other object, by putting it in some relation of opposition to another figure or object. the figures of the groups must not be all on side . . . but must contrast each other by their several position. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Contrast Con"trast (k[o^]n"tr[.a]st), n. [F. contraste: cf. It. contrasto.] 1. The act of contrasting, or the state of being contrasted; comparison by contrariety of qualities. place the prospect of the soul In sober contrast with reality. --Wordsworth. 2. Opposition or dissimilitude of things or qualities; unlikeness, esp. as shown by juxtaposition or comparison. The contrasts and resemblances of the seasons. --Whewell. 3. (Fine Arts) The opposition of varied forms, colors, etc., which by such juxtaposition more vividly express each other's peculiarities. --Fairholt.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(contrasted) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A contrast is a great difference between two or more things which is clear when you compare them. ...the contrast between town and country... The two visitors provided a startling contrast in appearance... Silk was used with wool for contrast. N-VAR: oft N between pl-n 2. You say by contrast or in contrast, or in contrast to something, to show that you are mentioning a very different situation from the one you have just mentioned. The private sector, by contrast, has plenty of money to spend... In contrast, the lives of girls in well-to-do families were often very sheltered... In contrast to similar services in France and Germany, Intercity rolling stock is very rarely idle. PHRASE: PHR with cl 3. If one thing is in contrast to another, it is very different from it. His public statements have always been in marked contrast to those of his son... PHRASE: v-link PHR, usu PHR to n 4. If one thing is a contrast to another, it is very different from it. The boy's room is a complete contrast to the guest room. ...a country of great contrasts. N-COUNT: oft N to/with n 5. If you contrast one thing with another, you point out or consider the differences between those things. She contrasted the situation then with the present crisis... In this section we contrast four possible broad approaches. VERB: V n with n, V pl-n 6. If one thing contrasts with another, it is very different from it. Johnson's easy charm contrasted sharply with the prickliness of his boss... Paint the wall in a contrasting colour. V-RECIP: V with n, V-ing, also pl-n V 7. Contrast is the degree of difference between the darker and lighter parts of a photograph, television picture, or painting.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Exhibition of differences, contrasting. 2. Opposition, difference, striking difference, contrariety. II. v. a. Set off by opposition, exhibit the differences of. III. v. n. Show difference, exhibit a contrast, stand out in opposition.

Moby Thesaurus

allegory, analogize, analogy, antagonism, anteposition, antipathy, antithesis, arc lighting, assimilate, bad copy, bad likeness, balance, balancing, black and white, bracket, bring into analogy, bring into comparison, bump heads, camouflage, chiaroscuro, clashing, collate, collision, comparative anatomy, comparative degree, comparative grammar, comparative judgment, comparative linguistics, comparative literature, comparative method, compare, compare and contrast, compare with, comparing, comparison, conflict, confront, confrontation, confrontment, contend, contention, contradiction, contradistinction, contraindication, contrapose, contraposit, contraposition, contrariety, contrastiveness, correlation, counteract, counterpose, counterposition, cross-purposes, decorative lighting, departure, deviation, difference, differentiate, direct lighting, disaccord, disaccordance, disagreement, disconformity, discongruity, discordance, discrepancy, discreteness, discriminate, disguise, disparity, dissemblance, dissent, dissimilarity, dissimilation, dissimilitude, dissonance, distinction, distinctiveness, distinctness, distinguish, divergence, divergency, diversity, draw a comparison, draw a parallel, electric lighting, enlightenment, face, far cry, festoon lighting, floodlighting, fluorescent lighting, front, gaslighting, glow lighting, heterogeneity, highlights, hostility, illumination, inaccordance, incandescent lighting, incommensurability, incomparability, incompatibility, incongruity, inconsistency, inconsonance, indirect lighting, inequality, inharmoniousness, inharmony, inimicalness, irradiation, irreconcilability, juxtapose, lie opposite, light and shade, lighting, liken, liken to, likening, makeup, match, matching, measure against, meet head-on, mere caricature, metaphor, metaphorize, mixture, nonconformity, nonuniformity, odds, oppose, opposing, oppositeness, opposition, opposure, oppugnance, oppugnancy, otherness, overhead lighting, parallel, parallelism, perversity, place against, polar opposition, polarity, polarization, polarize, poor imitation, pose against, posing against, proportion, put in opposition, radiation, relate, relation, repugnance, run a comparison, separateness, set against, set in contrast, set in opposition, set off, set off against, set over against, showdown, simile, similitude, similize, spot lighting, stage lighting, stand opposed, stand opposite, strip lighting, subtend, tonality, trope of comparison, unconformity, unlikeness, unorthodoxy, unresemblance, unsameness, unsimilarity, variance, variation, variegation, variety, view together, weigh, weigh against, weighing