Idioms for contract

    put out a contract on, Slang. to hire or attempt to hire an assassin to kill (someone): The mob put out a contract on the informer.

Origin of contract

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin contractus undertaking a transaction, agreement, equivalent to contrac-, variant stem of contrahere to draw in, bring together, enter into an agreement ( con- con- + trahere to drag, pull; cf. traction) + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) < Latin contractus, past participle of contrahere

SYNONYMS FOR contract

10 reduce, shorten, lessen, narrow, shrivel, shrink.

ANTONYMS FOR contract

10 expand.

synonym study for contract

1. See agreement. 10. Contract, compress, concentrate, condense imply retaining original content but reducing the amount of space occupied. Contract means to cause to draw more closely together: to contract a muscle. Compress suggests fusing to become smaller by means of fairly uniform external pressure: to compress gases into liquid form. Concentrate implies causing to gather around a point: to concentrate troops near an objective; to concentrate one's strength. Condense implies increasing the compactness, or thickening the consistency of a homogeneous mass: to condense milk. It is also used to refer to the reducing in length of a book or the like.

OTHER WORDS FROM contract

Words nearby contract

contraception, contraceptive, contraceptive device, contraceptive sponge, contraclockwise, contract, contract bond, contract bridge, contract furniture, contract labor, contract of employment

British Dictionary definitions for contract bridge (1 of 2)

contract bridge
/ (ˈkɒntrækt) /

noun

the most common variety of bridge, in which the declarer receives points counting towards game and rubber only for tricks he bids as well as makes, any overtricks receiving bonus points Compare auction bridge

British Dictionary definitions for contract bridge (2 of 2)

contract

verb (kənˈtrækt)

noun (ˈkɒntrækt)

Derived forms of contract

contractible, adjective contractibly, adverb

Word Origin for contract

C16: from Latin contractus agreement, something drawn up, from contrahere to draw together, from trahere to draw

Medical definitions for contract bridge

contract
[ kən-trăkt′, kŏn′trăkt′ ]

v.

To reduce in size by drawing together.
To become reduced in size by or as if by being drawn together, as the pupil of the eye.
To acquire or incur by contagion or infection.

Cultural definitions for contract bridge

contract

A legally binding agreement between two or more parties.