Con*trac"tion (?), n.
[L. contractio: cf. F. contraction.]
1. The act or process of contracting, shortening, or shrinking; the state of being contracted; as, contraction of the heart,
of the pupil of the
eye, or of a tendon; the
contraction produced by cold.
2. (Math.) The process of shortening an operation.
3. The act of incurring or becoming subject to, as liabilities, obligation,
debts, etc.; the process of becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a disease.
4. Something contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal conversation, etc.
5. (Gram.) The shortening of a word, or of two words,
by the omission of a
letter or letters, or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as, ne'er for never; can't for can
not; don't for do not; it's for it is.
6. A marriage contract. [Obs.] Shak.
Hear it pronounced