contraction

A tightening of a muscle, especially one in the womb during childbirth.

• She felt her first contraction.
• The contractions came every five minutes.
• Muscle contraction allows you to bend your arm.

Similar words: tightening

Opposites: relaxation

Common phrases: muscle contraction, painful contraction, feel a contraction

The process of becoming smaller, shorter, or tighter.

• Cooling causes contraction.
• The metal's contraction left a gap in the joint.
• The country experienced a sharp economic contraction.

How to use it: contraction of something (Cooling causes contraction of the metal.); contraction in something (There was a contraction in demand for new cars.)

Similar words: shrinkage, reduction

Opposites: expansion

Common phrases: thermal contraction, economic contraction, contraction in size

A short form of a word or words, often using an apostrophe to show missing letters.

• Don't is a contraction.
• We use contractions often when we speak.
• Is you're a contraction of you are?

How to use it: contraction of something (Can't is a contraction of cannot.)

Similar words: shortened form, short form

Common phrases: use a contraction, common contraction, contraction of something

The act of taking on a debt or acquiring something unwanted, such as a disease.

• The contraction of debt worried the directors.
• They investigated the circumstances surrounding his contraction of the disease.
• The contract forbids the contraction of further financial obligations.

How to use it: contraction of something (The agreement restricts the contraction of new debt.)

Similar words: incurrence, acquisition

Common phrases: contraction of debt, contraction of disease, contraction of liabilities

A sound change that shortens a separate word so it becomes attached to another word.

• Contraction can remove sounds from a word.
• Through contraction, not becomes the attached form n't.
• The lecture explained contraction in rapid speech.

How to use it: contraction of A into B (The study examines the contraction of full words into clitics.)

Similar words: cliticization

Common phrases: phonological contraction, contraction of sounds, contraction into clitics