1. A binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law
   "They signed a contract to purchase the house"
    
2. A variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks they bid
   "Contract bridge remains a popular card game for four players";
   - contract bridge
    
3. (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make
   "They won the game by making their contract of four spades";
   - declaration

1. Become smaller or draw together
   "The fabric contracted";
   - shrink
    
2. Make smaller
   "The heat contracted the woollen garment"
    
3. Compress or concentrate
   "Congress contracted the three-year plan into a six-month plan";
   - condense, concentrate
    
4. Make or become more narrow or restricted
   "The tunnel contracted as we went deeper";
   - narrow, neck
    
5. Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
   "They contracted the research paper to fit the page limit";
   - abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, reduce
    
6. Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness
   "She contracted a chill";
   - take, get
    
7. Bring together or compress
   "the spasm contracted the muscle";
   - compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, press
    
8. Enter into a contractual arrangement
   "The company contracted to provide cleaning services for the office building";
   - undertake
    
9. Engage by written agreement
   "They contracted two new pitchers for the next season";
   - sign, sign on, sign up

1. A contract made before another contract, especially one that may invalidate a subsequent agreement
   "The pre-contract complicated the negotiations for the new business deal"

1. To make a contract or agreement in advance
   "They pre-contracted for the delivery of supplies before the busy season"

Derived forms: pre-contracted, pre-contracting, pre-contracts

See also: specialise [Brit]

Type of: alter, assure, bid, bidding, bridge, change, come down, decrease, dent, diminish, employ, engage, fall, go down, hire, lessen, minify, modify, promise, reduce, shrink, sicken, sink, take on, tighten, written agreement

Antonym: stretch, widen

Part of: bridge

Encyclopedia: Contract