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Adjective: contracted  kun'trak-tid
  1. Reduced in size or pulled together
    "the contracted pupils of her eyes"
Verb: contract  'kón,trakt
  1. Enter into a contractual arrangement
    - undertake
     
  2. Engage by written agreement
    "They contracted two new pitchers for the next season";
    - sign, sign on, sign up
     
  3. Bring together or compress
    "the spasm contracted the muscle";
    - compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, press
     
  4. Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness
    "She contracted a chill";
    - take, get
     
  5. Become smaller or draw together
    "The fabric contracted";
    - shrink
     
  6. Make smaller
    "The heat contracted the woollen garment"
     
  7. Compress or concentrate
    "Congress contracted the three-year plan into a six-month plan";
    - condense, concentrate
     
  8. Make or become more narrow or restricted
    "The selection was contracted";
    - narrow, neck
     
  9. Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
    "The manuscript must be contracted";
    - abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, reduce

See also: contractile, specialise [Brit]

Type of: alter, assure, change, come down, decrease, diminish, employ, engage, fall, hire, lessen, minify, modify, promise, reduce, shrink, sicken, tighten

Antonym: expanded, stretch, widen

Encyclopedia: Contracted

Contract