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Definition of contraction noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

contraction

noun
 
/kənˈtrækʃn/
 
/kənˈtrækʃn/
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  1. [uncountable] the process of becoming smaller
    • The design needs to allow for the expansion and contraction of the metal.
    • The sudden contraction of the markets left them with a lot of unwanted stock.
    • Physical stress caused by expansion and contraction can damage components within the computer.
    • the contraction of the pipes in cold weather
    opposite expansion
  2. [countable, uncountable] a sudden and painful contracting of muscles, especially the muscles around a woman’s womb, that happens when she is giving birth to a child
    • The contractions started coming every five minutes.
    • Neurons control the contraction of muscles.
    • The contractions were coming every ten minutes.
    Wordfinder
    Topics Life stagesc2
  3. [countable] (linguistics) a short form of a word
    • ‘He's’ may be a contraction of ‘he is’ or ‘he has’.
    Topics Languageb1
    4. Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin contractio(n-), from contrahere ‘draw together’, from con- ‘together’ + trahere ‘draw’.
See contraction in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee contraction in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: contraction

Nearby words

dizzy
adjective
 
 
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Health problems
C1
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