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contraction

[ kuhn-trak-shuhn ]

noun

  1. an act or instance of contracting or the quality or state of being contracted:

    The contraction of the ship’s metal fastenings and consequent snapping of the wood caused cracking sounds during the cold night.

  2. a shortened form of a word or group of words, with the omitted letters often replaced in written English by an apostrophe, as e'er for ever, isn't for is not, I'd for I would.
  3. Physiology.
    1. the thickening and shortening of a muscle:

      Myosin is a protein in muscles, working together with actin to produce muscle contraction.

    2. one in an often rhythmic series of such muscular changes, especially in the wall of the uterus during labor:

      When I got to the hospital, my labor was in full force with only 10 seconds between contractions.

  4. a restriction or withdrawal, as of currency or of funds available as call money.
  5. a decrease in economic and industrial activity ( expansion ):

    The contraction that became the Great Depression began in the United States and spread around the globe.



contraction

/ əˈٰæʃə /

noun

  1. an instance of contracting or the state of being contracted
  2. physiol any normal shortening or tensing of an organ or part, esp of a muscle, e.g. during childbirth
  3. pathol any abnormal tightening or shrinking of an organ or part
  4. a shortening of a word or group of words, often marked in written English by an apostrophe

    I've come for I have come

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

contraction

/ ə-ٰăə /

  1. The shortening and thickening of a muscle for the purpose of exerting force on or causing movement of a body part.
  2. See more at muscle

contraction

  1. A word produced by running two or more words together and leaving out some of the letters or sounds. For example, isn't is a contraction of is not.
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Usage Note

Contractions such as isn't, couldn't, can't, weren't, he'll, they're occur chiefly, although not exclusively, in informal speech and writing. They are common in personal letters, business letters, journalism, and fiction; they are rare in scientific and scholarly writing. Contractions occur in formal writing mainly as representations of speech.
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Notes

An apostrophe is generally used in contractions to show where letters or sounds have been left out.
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Derived Forms

  • Dzˈٰپ, adjective
  • Dzˈٰپness, noun
  • Dzˈٰپly, adverb
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Other yvlogs From

  • Dz·ٰ·پDz· adjective
  • ԴDz·Dz·ٰ·پDz noun
  • ··Dz·ٰ·پDz noun
  • ·Dz·ٰ·پDz noun
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of contraction1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Old French, from Latin DzԳٰپō-, stem of DzԳٰپō, equivalent to contract(us) “drawn together, restricted,” past participle of contrahere + -ō- noun suffix; contract, -ion
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Example Sentences

Her mother Rozelle called Wishaw General to report her waters had broken and she was suffering contractions on 30 June, but after attending the hospital was discharged.

From

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, however, insisted there would be no contraction in the world's largest economy, while acknowledging that the price of some goods may rise.

From

The hardball question came after the Atlanta Fed predicted a contraction of the American economy in the first quarter of 2025.

From

As studios sunset certain initiatives, some fear that the already-slim opportunities for people of color could decrease, compounded by the ongoing production slowdown in Los Angeles due to industry contraction and runaway production.

From

Its small business index, which measures levels of confidence among firms, found that a small companies "are braced for a contraction in the size of their business in the first three months of 2025".

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