contraction

contraction
I
(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)
Shrinking
Nouns
1. (becoming smaller) contraction, reduction, diminution; decrease; shrinking, shriveling, atrophy, astringency; emaciation, attenuation, consumption, tabescence; abbreviation. See littleness, narrowness.
2. (becoming more compact) condensation, compression, compactness; squeezing, choking, strangulation (see closure); cramp, seizure; contractility, compressibility. See density.
Verbs
1. (become smaller) contract, become small[er]; decrease, shrink, narrow, shrivel, collapse, lose flesh, reduce, deflate; decay, deteriorate (see deterioration).
2. (become narrower) diminish, draw in, narrow; constrict, constringe, astringe; condense, compress, squeeze, cramp, crimp, crush, crumple up, purse or pucker up; wind up, tighten, pinch, strangle; stunt, dwarf; empty; waste away; pare, attenuate, shorten (see shortness).
Adjectives — contracting, contractive, contractile; tabescent; styptic, astringent; shrunk, strangulated, wizened, stunted; compact.
Antonyms, see expansion.
II
(Roget's IV) n.
1. [The act of contracting]
Syn. dwindling, shrinking, receding, withdrawing, shriveling, lessening, recession, withdrawal, consumption, condensation, condensing, elision, omission, deflation, evaporation, constriction, abbreviation, abbreviating, decrease, shortening, abridging, compression, narrowing, confinement, curtailment, omitting, defLating, evaporating, decreasing, abridgment, reducing, reduction, shrinkage, curtailing, diminishing, cutting down, drawing together, constricting, squeezing, flexing, tensing, consolidating, consolidation, diminution, lowering, lopping, epitomizing, editing; see also abbreviation 2 , reduction 1 .
Ant. expansion, increase*, extension.
2. [A contracted form]
Syn. colloquialism, shortening, syncope; see abbreviation 1 .
III
(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.
compression, reduction, narrowing, squeezing, shortening, tightening, condensing, recession, cramping, withering, shrinkage.
ANT.: expansion, swelling, enlargement

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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  • contraction — [ kɔ̃traksjɔ̃ ] n. f. • XVe; contraicion 1256; lat. contractio, de contrahere → 2. contracter 1 ♦ Vx Diminution du volume d un corps, sans modification de sa masse. Contraction par le froid, la pression. ♢ Mod. Physiol. Diminution de volume ou de …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Contraction — may refer to: In physiology: Muscle contraction, one that occurs when a muscle fiber lengthens or shortens Uterine contraction, contraction of the uterus, such as during childbirth Contraction, a stage in wound healing In linguistics: Synalepha,… …   Wikipedia

  • contraction — CONTRACTION. s. f. Terme de Physique, qui se dit Du raccourcissement qui arrive aux nerfs ou aux muscles lorsqu ils viennent à se etirer. La systole du coeur consiste dans sa contraction. Contraction volontaire, contraction involontaire des… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • Contraction — Con*trac tion, n. [L. contractio: cf. F. contraction.] 1. 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 tendon; the contraction produced… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • contraction — CONTRACTION. s. f. Racourcissement des nerfs, des muscles, qui sont retirez. Une grande contraction de nerfs. cette fluxion, cette blessure luy causa la contraction d un tel muscle. Il est aussi usité en Grammaire, où il signifie la reduction de… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • contraction — late 14c., action of making a contract (especially of marriage), also action of shrinking or shortening, from O.Fr. contraction (13c.), or directly from L. contractionem (nom. contractio), noun of action from pp. stem of contrahere (see CONTRACT… …   Etymology dictionary

  • contraction — [kən trak′shən] n. [ME contraccioun < OFr contraction < L contractio] 1. a contracting or being contracted 2. the shortening and thickening of a muscle fiber or a muscle in action, esp. of the uterus during labor 3. Gram. a) the shortening… …   English World dictionary

  • Contraction — Contraction. См. Усадка. (Источник: «Металлы и сплавы. Справочник.» Под редакцией Ю.П. Солнцева; НПО Профессионал , НПО Мир и семья ; Санкт Петербург, 2003 г.) …   Словарь металлургических терминов

  • Contraction — (v. lat.), 1) das Zusammenziehen nachgiebiger Theile, vermöge der ihnen eigenthümlichen Contractibilität; Gegensatz: Expansion; 2) (Gramm.), Zusammenziehung zweier od. mehrerer, besonders auszusprechender Vocale desselben Wortes in Einen Laut,… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • contraction — index abridgment (condensation), abstract, blockade (limitation), compendium, curtailment, decline …   Law dictionary

  • contraction — [n] drawing in; shortening abbreviating, abbreviation, abridging, abridgment, compression, condensation, condensing, confinement, confining, constriction, curtailing, curtailment, cutting down, decrease, decreasing, deflating, deflation,… …   New thesaurus

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