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noun
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 such an agreement.
4.
the division of law dealing with contracts.
5.
EXPANDAlso 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)
a.
a commitment by the declarer and his or her partner to take six tricks plus the number specified by the final bid made.
b.
the final bid itself.
c.
the number of tricks so specified, plus six.
7.
the formal agreement of marriage; betrothal.
8.
COLLAPSESlang. an arrangement for a hired assassin to kill a specific person.
adjective
9.
under contract; governed or arranged by special contract: a contract carrier.
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Contracting
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
verb (used with object)
10.
to draw together or into smaller compass; draw the parts of together: to contract a muscle.
11.
to wrinkle: to contract the brows.
12.
to shorten (a word, phrase, etc.) by combining or omitting some of its elements: Contracting “do not” yields “don't.”
13.
to get or acquire, as by exposure to something contagious: to contract a disease.
14.
EXPANDto incur, as a liability or obligation: to contract a debt.
15.
to settle or establish by agreement: to contract an alliance.
16.
to assign (a job, work, project, etc.) by contract: The publisher contracted the artwork.
17.
to enter into an agreement with: to contract a free-lancer to do the work.
18.
to enter into (friendship, acquaintance, etc.).
19.
COLLAPSEto betroth.
verb (used without object)
Verb phrase20.
to become drawn together or reduced in compass; become smaller; shrink: The pupils of his eyes contracted in the light.
21.
to enter into an agreement: to contract for snow removal.
22.
Idiomcontract out, to hire an outside contractor to produce or do.
23.
put out a contract on, Slang. to hire or attempt to hire an assassin to kill (someone): The mob put out a contract on the informer.
Origin:
1275–1325; (noun) Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Latin contractus undertaking a transaction, agreement, equivalent to contrac-, variant stem of contrahere to draw in, bring together, enter into an agreement (con- con- + trahere to drag, pull; compare traction) + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) < Latin contractus, past participle of contrahere
1275–1325; (noun) Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Latin contractus undertaking a transaction, agreement, equivalent to contrac-, variant stem of contrahere to draw in, bring together, enter into an agreement (con- con- + trahere to drag, pull; compare traction) + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) < Latin contractus, past participle of contrahere
Related forms
con·tract·ee, noun
con·tract·i·ble, adjective
con·tract·i·bil·i·ty, con·tract·i·ble·ness, noun
con·tract·i·bly, adverb
non·con·tract, adjective
EXPANDo·ver·con·tract, verb (used with object)
post·con·tract, noun
re·con·tract, verb (used with object)
COLLAPSESynonyms
1. See agreement. 10. reduce, shorten, lessen, narrow, shrivel, shrink. Contract, compress, concentrate, condense imply retaining original content but reducing the amount of space occupied. Contract means to cause to draw more closely together: to contract a muscle. Compress suggests fusing to become smaller by means of fairly uniform external pressure: to compress gases into liquid form. Concentrate implies causing to gather around a point: to concentrate troops near an objective; to concentrate one's strength. Condense implies increasing the compactness, or thickening the consistency of a homogeneous mass: to condense milk. It is also used to refer to the reducing in length of a book or the like.
1. See agreement. 10. reduce, shorten, lessen, narrow, shrivel, shrink. Contract, compress, concentrate, condense imply retaining original content but reducing the amount of space occupied. Contract means to cause to draw more closely together: to contract a muscle. Compress suggests fusing to become smaller by means of fairly uniform external pressure: to compress gases into liquid form. Concentrate implies causing to gather around a point: to concentrate troops near an objective; to concentrate one's strength. Condense implies increasing the compactness, or thickening the consistency of a homogeneous mass: to condense milk. It is also used to refer to the reducing in length of a book or the like.
Antonyms
10. expand.
10. expand.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To Contracting
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
contract
early 14c., from L. contractus, pp. of contrahere "to draw together," metaphorically, "to make a bargain," from com- "together" + trahere "to draw" (see tract (1)). Noun came first, then verb and variant meaning "become narrowed, get smaller," especially of a withered limb
EXPAND(both 17c.). U.S. underworld slang sense of "arrangement to kill someone" first recorded 1940. Related: Contracting (1580s).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
contract con·tract (kən-trākt', kŏn'trākt')
v. con·tract·ed, con·tract·ing, con·tracts
To reduce in size by drawing together.
To become reduced in size by or as if by being drawn together, as the pupil of the eye.
To acquire or incur by contagion or infection.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
contract definition
A legally binding agreement between two or more parties.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
contracting
the labour of workers whose freedom is restricted by the terms of a contractual relation and by laws that make such arrangements permissible and enforceable. The essence of the contract labourer's obligation is his surrender for a specified period of the freedom to quit his work and his employer. Other stipulations cover such matters as repayment of the costs of transportation, housing, training, and other expenses.
Learn more about contracting with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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