Contract

v. t. [imp. & p. p. CONTRACTED; p. pr. & vb. n. CONTRACTING.] [Lat. contrahere, contractum, from con and trahere, to draw; It. contraere, contrarre, Sp. contraer, Pg. contrahir, Fr. contracter.]

1Sense 1. To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to abridge; to shorten; to lessen; as, to contract the area of a field or territory; to contract one's sphere of action, or one's faculties.

[Thou] didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak.

In all things, desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. Gov. of Tongue.

2Sense 2. To bring on; to be liable to; to incur; to gain.

Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain. Milton.

Each from each contract new strength and light. Pope.

Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high station. Swift.

3Sense 3. To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for.

We have contracted an inviolable amity, peace, and league with the aforesaid queen. Hackluyt.

Many persons . . . had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity . . . prohibited by law. Strype.

4Sense 4. To betroth; to affiance.

The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure that nothing can dissolve us. Shak.

5Sense 5. (Gram.) To unite into one long vowel or diphthong; — said of concurrent vowels.

Synonyms—To shorten; abridge; epitomize; narrow; lessen; condense; reduce; confine; incur; assume.

v. i. 1. To be drawn together; to be reduced in compass; to be narrowed, shortened, or curtailed; to shrink. “Years contracting to a moment.” Wordsworth. 2. To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail; to contract for supplying an army with cattle.