contractible

Variant of contract

noun

  1. an agreement between two or more people to do something, esp. one formally set forth in writing and enforceable by law; compact; covenant
  2. a formal agreement of marriage or betrothal
  3. a document containing the terms of a contract
  4. the branch of law having to do with contracts
  5. Informal an assignment to murder someone for pay
  6. Bridge
    1. the highest bid in an auction
    2. the number of tricks, and the suit or no-trump preference, stated in such a bid
    3. contract bridge

Origin: OFr < L contractus, pp. of contrahere, to draw together, make a bargain < com-, together + trahere, to draw

transitive verb

    1. to enter upon, or undertake, by contract
    2. to hire (a person, business, etc.) to perform under contract: we contracted him to fix the roof
  1. to get, acquire, or incur: to contract a disease, a debt, etc.
    1. to reduce in size; draw together; narrow; shrink; shorten: cold contracts metals
    2. to draw (the brow or brows) together; knit
  2. to narrow in scope; restrict
  3. Rare to betroth
  4. Gram. to shorten (a word or phrase) by the omission of a letter or sound, as in I'm, e'er, can't

intransitive verb

  1. to make a contract; agree formally: to contract for a new car
  2. to become reduced in size or bulk; draw together; shrink; narrow; shorten

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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