con|trac|tion

con|trac|tion
con|trac|tion «kuhn TRAK shuhn», noun.
1. the act or process of contracting: »

Cold causes the contraction of liquids, gases, and solids; heat causes expansion. Figurative. He talks of making more contractions of his expense (Samuel Johnson).

2. the condition of being contracted: »

The contraction of mercury by cold makes it go down in thermometers. Figurative. the contraction of credit, characteristic of a commercial crisis (John Stuart Mill).

3. something contracted; a shortened form: »

“Can't” is a contraction of “cannot.”

4. Anatomy. the shortening and thickening of tissue whereby a muscle pulls, compresses, constricts, or otherwise moves some part of the body.
5. a restriction; limitation.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • con|trac|tion|al — «kuhn TRAK shuh nuhl», adjective. serving or tending to contract …   Useful english dictionary

  • con·trac·tion — /kənˈtrækʃən/ noun, pl tions 1 [noncount] : the act or process of making something smaller or of becoming smaller The hot metal undergoes contraction as it cools. Two teams were eliminated in the contraction of the baseball league. 2 [count]… …   Useful english dictionary

  • tion — ab·bre·vi·a·tion; ab·di·ca·tion; ab·duc·tion; ab·er·ra·tion; ab·er·ra·tion·al; ab·jec·tion; ab·junc·tion; ab·ju·ra·tion; ab·lac·ta·tion; ab·la·tion; ab·lu·tion; ab·mi·gra·tion; ab·ne·ga·tion; ab·o·li·tion; ab·o·li·tion·ary; ab·o·li·tion·dom;… …   English syllables

  • trac — am·trac; at·trac·tion; at·trac·tion·al·ly; at·trac·tor; con·trac·til·i·ty; con·trac·tion; con·trac·tion·al; con·trac·tion·ist; con·trac·tive; con·trac·tor; con·trac·tu·al; con·trac·ture; con·trac·tus; de·trac·tion; de·trac·tive; de·trac·tor;… …   English syllables

  • con — con·acre; con·cat·e·nate; con·cave; con·ceal·er; con·ceit; con·cen·trate; con·cen·tra·tor; con·cen·tric; con·cep·tual; con·cern; con·cern·ing; con·cert; con·cer·tante; con·cer·ti·na; con·ces·sion·ary; con·cha; con·cin·nate; con·com·i·tant;… …   English syllables

  • contraction — con·trac·tion …   English syllables

  • contractional — con·trac·tion·al …   English syllables

  • contraction — con•trac•tion [[t]kənˈtræk ʃən[/t]] n. 1) an act or instance of contracting 2) the quality or state of being contracted 3) gram. a shortened form of a word or group of words, with the omitted letters often replaced in written English by an… …   From formal English to slang

  • contraction — con|trac|tion [kənˈtrækʃən] n 1.) medical a very strong and painful movement of a muscle, especially the muscles around the ↑womb during birth 2.) [U] the process of becoming smaller or narrower ▪ the contraction of metal as it cools 3.) a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • contraction — con|trac|tion [ kən trækʃən ] noun * 1. ) uncount the process of becoming smaller: the contraction of cooling metal There is likely to be further contraction of the dot com sector as more firms go bankrupt. 2. ) count MEDICAL a movement of a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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