contract

Meanings

Noun

Adjective

  • Contracted; affianced; betrothed.
  • Not abstract; concrete.

Verb

  • To draw together or nearer; to shorten, narrow, or lessen.
  • To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.
  • To enter into a contract with.
  • To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for.
  • To make an agreement or contract; to covenant; to agree; to bargain.
  • To bring on; to incur; to acquire.
  • To gain or acquire (an illness).
  • To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit.
  • To betroth; to affiance.

Related

Similar words

Opposite words

Narrower meaning words

Broader meaning words

Origin

  • From Middle English, from Old French contract, from Latin contractum, past participle of contraho, from con- + traho.
  • From Middle English, from Middle French contracter, from Latin contractum, past participle of contraho, from con- + traho. The verb developed after the noun, and originally meant only "draw together"; the sense "make a contract with" developed later.

Modern English dictionary

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