contract
verb/kənˈtrækt/
/kənˈtrækt/
Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they contract | /kənˈtrækt/ /kənˈtrækt/ |
| he / she / it contracts | /kənˈtrækts/ /kənˈtrækts/ |
| past simple contracted | /kənˈtræktɪd/ /kənˈtræktɪd/ |
| past participle contracted | /kənˈtræktɪd/ /kənˈtræktɪd/ |
| -ing form contracting | /kənˈtræktɪŋ/ /kənˈtræktɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to become less or smaller; to make something become less or smaller
- Glass contracts as it cools.
- The universe is expanding rather than contracting.
- a contracting market
- The economy will contract by 2 per cent this year.
- The heart muscles contract to expel the blood.
- contract something The exercise consists of stretching and contracting the leg muscles.
- contract something to something ‘I will’ and ‘I shall’ are usually contracted to ‘I'll’ (= made shorter).
Extra ExamplesTopics Physics and chemistryb2- The electrical market is forecast to contract by 2% this year.
- The exercise consists of contracting and expanding the leg muscles.
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- [transitive] contract something (formal or medical) to get an illness
- to contract a virus/a disease/measles
Extra ExamplesTopics Health problemsc2- Condoms can help to minimize the risk of contracting HIV.
- He contracted malaria while abroad.
- /ˈkɒntrækt//ˈkɑːntrækt/[transitive] to make a legal agreement with somebody for them to work for you or provide you with a service
- contract somebody to do something The player is contracted to play until August.
- contract somebody (to something) Several computer engineers have been contracted to the finance department.
- He can't work for them because he is contracted with another company.
- /ˈkɒntrækt//ˈkɑːntrækt/[intransitive] contract to do something to make a legal agreement to work for somebody or provide them with a service
- She has contracted to work 20 hours a week.
- /ˈkɒntrækt//ˈkɑːntrækt/[transitive] contract a marriage/an alliance (with somebody) (formal) to formally agree to marry somebody/form an alliance with somebodyTopics Discussion and agreementc2More Like This Pronunciation changes by part of speechPronunciation changes by part of speech
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin contractus, from contract- ‘drawn together, tightened’, from the verb contrahere, from con- ‘together’ + trahere ‘draw’.
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contract