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CONTRACT
contract, contract bridge
(noun) a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid
contract
(noun) a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law
contract, declaration
(noun) (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make
contract, take, get
(verb) be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness; “He got AIDS”; “She came down with pneumonia”; “She took a chill”
shrink, contract
(verb) become smaller or draw together; “The fabric shrank”; “The balloon shrank”
abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, contract, reduce
(verb) reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; “The manuscript must be shortened”
narrow, contract
(verb) make or become more narrow or restricted; “The selection was narrowed”; “The road narrowed”
condense, concentrate, contract
(verb) compress or concentrate; “Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan”
contract, undertake
(verb) enter into a contractual arrangement
contract
(verb) make smaller; “The heat contracted the woollen garment”
compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, contract, press
(verb) squeeze or press together; “she compressed her lips”; “the spasm contracted the muscle”
sign, contract, sign on, sign up
(verb) engage by written agreement; “They signed two new pitchers for the next season”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
contract (plural contracts)
An agreement between two or more parties, to perform a specific job or work order, often temporary or of fixed duration and usually governed by a written agreement.
(legal) An agreement which the law will enforce in some way. A legally binding contract must contain at least one promise, i.e, a commitment or offer, by an offeror to and accepted by an offeree to do something in the future. A contract is thus executory rather than executed.
(legal) A part of legal studies dealing with laws and jurisdiction related to contracts.
(informal) An order, usually given to a hired assassin, to kill someone.
(bridge) The declarer's undertaking to win the number of tricks bid with a stated suit as trump.
Synonyms
• (part of legal studies): contract law
Hypernyms
• (agreement that is legally binding): agreement
Hyponyms
• (agreement that is legally binding): bailment
Adjective
contract (not comparable)
(obsolete) Contracted; affianced; betrothed.
(obsolete) Not abstract; concrete.
Etymology 2
Verb
contract (third-person singular simple present contracts, present participle contracting, simple past and past participle contracted)
(ambitransitive) To draw together or nearer; to shorten, narrow, or lessen.
(grammar) To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.
(transitive) To enter into a contract with.
(transitive) To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for.
(intransitive) To make an agreement or contract; to covenant; to agree; to bargain.
(transitive) To bring on; to incur; to acquire.
(transitive) To gain or acquire (an illness).
To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit.
To betroth; to affiance.
Synonyms
• (lessen): abate, decrease, lessen, reduce
• (shorten): shorten, shrink
• (gain or acquire (an illness)): catch, get
Antonyms
• (lessen): increase, expand
• (shorten): grow, lengthen
Source: Wiktionary
Con*tract", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contracted; p.pr. & vb.n. Contracting.] Etym: [L. contractus, p.p. of contrahere to contract; con- + trahere to draw: cf. F. contracter. See Trace, and cf. Contract, n.]
1. To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lesen; as, to contract one's shpere of action. In all things desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. Dr. H. More.
2. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit. Thou didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak.
3. To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. Each from each contract new strength and light. Pope. Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high statiSwift.
4. To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for. We have contracted an inviolable amity, peace, and lague with the aforesaid queen. Hakluyt. Many persons . . . had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity . . . prohibited by law. Strype.
5. To betroth; to affiance. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. Shak.
6. (Gram.)
Definition: To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.
Syn.
– To shorten; abridge; epitomize; narrow; lessen; condense; reduce; confine; incur; assume.
Con*tract", v. i.
1. To be drawn together so as to be diminished in size or extent; to shrink; to be reduced in compass or in duration; as, iron contracts in cooling; a rope contracts when wet. Years contracting to a moment. Wordsworth.
2. To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail.
Con"tract, a.
Definition: Contracted: as, a contract verb. Goodwin.
Con*tract", a. Etym: [L. contractus, p.p.]
Definition: Contracted; affianced; betrothed. [Obs.] Shak.
Con"tract, n. Etym: [L. contractus, fr. contrahere: cf. F. contrat, formerly also contract.]
1. (Law)
Definition: The agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights. Wharton.
2. A formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation.
3. The act of formally betrothing a man and woman. This is the the night of the contract. Longwellow.
Syn.
– Covenant; agreement; compact; stipulation; bargain; arrangement; obligation. See Covenant.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
28 November 2024
SYNCRETISM
(noun) the fusion of originally different inflected forms (resulting in a reduction in the use of inflections)
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