contract

1. an agreement between two or more parties for the doing or not doing of something specified.
2. an agreement enforceable by law.
3. the written form of an agreement enforceable by law.
4. the division of law dealing with contracts.
5. Also called contract bridge. a variety of bridge in which the side that wins the bid can earn toward game only that number of tricks named in the contract, additional points being credited above the line. Compare auction bridge.
6. (in auction or contract bridge)
   1. a commitment by the declarer and their partner to take six tricks plus the number specified by the final bid made.
   2. the final bid that specifies the number of tricks to which players must commit.
   3. the number of tricks to which players are committed, plus six.
7. the formal agreement of marriage; betrothal.
8. Slang. an arrangement for a hired assassin to kill a specific person.

1. under an agreement enforceable by law; governed or arranged by special legal agreement:

   As a contract carrier with us, you'll have access to more loads than with any other provider in North America.

1. to draw together; make shorter, thinner, narrower, etc.:

   In order to contract a muscle, the opposite muscle group has to be relaxed.

   Synonyms: shrink, shrivel, narrow, lessen, shorten, reduce

   Antonyms: expand

2. to shorten (a word, phrase, etc.) by combining or omitting some of its elements:

   Contracting “do not” yields “don't.”

3. to get or acquire, as by exposure to something contagious:

   I contracted malaria but didn't recognize the symptoms at first.

4. to incur, as a liability or obligation:

   He was very extravagant at college, and contracted many debts.

5. to settle or establish by agreement:

   Bismarck contracted an alliance with Austria to counteract Russian designs in Eastern Europe.

6. to assign (a job, work, project, etc.) by contract:

   The publisher contracted the artwork.

7. to enter into an agreement with:

   We contracted a freelancer to do the editing.

8. to enter into (friendship, acquaintance, etc.).
9. to betroth.
10. to wrinkle:

    to contract the brows.

1. to become reduced in length, width, thickness, etc., by drawing together; become smaller:

   The pupils of his eyes contracted in the light.

2. to enter into an agreement:

   We contracted to have the books printed and bound by Willow Press.

verb phrase

1. to hire an outside contractor to produce or do.