contraction
kuhn trak shuhn
- n (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)
- n the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together
the contraction of a gas on cooling - n a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds
`won't' is a contraction of `will not'
`o'clock' is a contraction of `of the clock' - n the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope
- These women want to give birth in their own bed or tub, with none of the medical interventions that have become staples of modern childbirth, like contraction-inducing medication .
- The 5,000-member Iranian secret police force SAVAK (a contraction of the Farsi words for security and information organization) has long been Iran's most hated and feared .
- This cablese, with its word contractions, its elaborate prefixes and suffixes, had nearly become a code; hence, the ban.