Word: contraction Part of Speech: noun Etymology: PIE word *ḱóm From Late Middle English contraccioun, contraxion (“spasm, contraction; constriction, shrinking; act of pressing together”), from Old French contraction (modern French contraction), from Latin contractiō(n) (“a drawing together, contraction; abridgement, shortening; dejection, despondency”), from contrahō (“to draw things together, assemble, collect, gather; to enter into a contract”) + -tiō(n) (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or their results). Contrahō is derived from con- (prefix denoting a bringing together of objects) + trahō (“to drag, pull”) (probably from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to drag, pull; to run”)). By surface analysis, contract + -ion (suffix denoting actions or processes, or their results). Pronunciation: /kənˈtɹækʃn̩/, /kɒn-/, /kənˈtɹakʃn̩/, /kɔn-/, /kənˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/ 1. Senses relating to becoming involved with or entering into, especially entering into a contract. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Our contraction of debt in this quarter has reduced our ability to attract investors. 2. Senses relating to becoming involved with or entering into, especially entering into a contract. Labels: archaic, countable, uncountable 3. Senses relating to becoming involved with or entering into, especially entering into a contract. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: the contraction of malaria Example: Railway workers were therefore a perfect subject for research, given the varied roles they undertook. If infection was greatest among the non-public-facing staff, it would suggest – given most worked outside – that contraction was caused by something found in the "atmosphere at large". If affliction was higher among the indoor and public-facing staff, it would suggest that human contact was the cause. And it was the latter point that was proven. 4. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: archaic, countable, obsolete, uncountable 5. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, uncountable 6. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Though occasionally a “flatliner” can be revived with a defib, it is most commonly used to change the uncoordinated contractions of the heart (fibrillation) into a normal sinus rhythm—that is, to defibrillate the heart. 7. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The country’s economic contraction was caused by high oil prices. 8. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: In the English words didn’t, that’s, and wanna, the endings -n’t, -’s, and -a arose by contraction. 9. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Don’t is a contraction of do not; and ’til is a contraction of until. Example: You would not use "it's" in this case / As a possessive (No, no, no) / It's a contraction (Yeah, ye) 10. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, uncountable 11. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, uncountable 12. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable 13. Senses relating to pulling together or shortening. Labels: countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable