contraction Hear it!

contraction Definition

con·trac·tion (kən trak′s̸hən)

noun

  1. a contracting or being contracted
  2. the shortening and thickening of a muscle fiber or a muscle in action, esp. of the uterus during labor
  3. Gram.
    1. the shortening of a word or phrase by the omission of one or more sounds or letters
    2. a word form resulting from this (Ex.: she's for she is, aren't for are not)
  4. Econ. a period of decrease in business activity

Etymology: ME contraccioun < OFr contraction < L contractio

Related Forms:

contraction Synonyms

contraction

n.

  1. The act of contracting

    dwindling, shrinking, receding, withdrawing, shriveling, lessening, recession, withdrawal, consumption, condensation, condensing, elision, omission, deflation, evaporation, constriction, abbreviation, abbreviating, decrease, shortening, abridging, compression, narrowing, confinement, curtailment, omitting, deflating, evaporating, decreasing, abridgment, reducing, reduction, shrinkage, curtailing, diminishing, cutting down, drawing together, constricting, squeezing, flexing, tensing, consolidating, consolidation, diminution, lowering, lopping, epitomizing, editing; see also abbreviation 2, reduction 1.

    Antonyms expansion, increase*, extension. *

  2. A contracted form

    colloquialism, shortening, syncope; see abbreviation 1.

contraction Telecom Definition
The shortening of a word or phrase by omitting letters or syllables. In the English language, a contraction generally, but not always, marks the omitted letters or syllables with an apostrophe or a period. Telco, for example, is a contraction of telephone company. Doesn't is a contraction of does not. Mr. is a contraction of mister, a title of courtesy for a man. Mrs. is a contraction of mistress, a title of courtesy for a married or widowed woman. Once upon a time, people used the title of courtesy Miss to denote a girl or unmarried woman.The feminist movement of the 1970s forced a change to Ms., which makes no distinction in a woman's marital status. Now we frequently delete such titles, altogether, leaving those who don't know the person to guess at both his or her gender and marital status, which is all quite silly, even if it is PC (politically correct). (Note: PC is an initialism.) See also initialism and portmanteau.
contraction Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • uterus: The same happens to contractions of the uterus - stopping labor or preventing the expulsion of the placenta.
  • muscle: These stimuli lead to the contraction of the bladder muscles.
  • atrium: This takes a few hundredths of a second and causes the contraction of the atria.
  • womb: Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and mefenamic acid reduce contractions of the womb as well as blood flow.

Converse of object

  • stimulate: Oxytocin A hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, which stimulates contraction of the uterus.
  • induce: However, there have been no recorded cases of Ginger inducing uterine contractions or miscarriages.
  • regulate: The minerals calcium and magnesium govern the working of nerves which regulate muscle contractions.
  • trigger: In the case of a muscle cell, depolarisation triggers muscle contraction.
  • undergo: Between 1983 and 2001 the UK, France and Belgium underwent a contraction in their manufacturing bases.
  • sustain: As fatigue sets in, the muscle tissue is no longer capable of meeting the metabolic requirements needed to sustain the contraction.

Adjective modifier

  • muscular: Muscular contraction is the physical basis of all human activity, including yoga.
  • isometric: For instance, no one would consider using only isometric contractions to develop strength in athletes.
  • uterine: However, there have been no recorded cases of Ginger inducing uterine contractions or miscarriages.
  • involuntary: Minor shocks may also cause injury following involuntary muscle contraction.
  • eccentric: In an eccentric contraction, the muscle fibers lengthen to lower the weight.
  • isotonic: With this form of contraction, the muscle is allowed to shorten during an isotonic contraction.

Modifies a noun

  • mapping: Banach ' s fixed point theorem ( the contraction mapping theorem ).
  • flow: This discrepancy has eluded predictive capability to date in contraction flows when utilizing Oldroyd models.

Noun used with modifier

  • detrusor: Clean intermittent catheterisation will temporarily relieve the symptoms and signs of obstruction or decreased detrusor contraction ( Moore, 1995 ).
  • muscle: Lessons cover topics ranging from muscle contraction to cardiac activity to reaction time.