contraction
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
contraction/kənˈtrakʃn/
▶noun
- 1 the process of contracting.
- 2 a shortening of the uterine muscles occurring at intervals before and during childbirth.
- 3 a word or group of words resulting from contracting an original form.
'contraction' also found in these Oxford entries:
adenosine triphosphate
- afterpains
- agonist
- ain't
- aren't
- astringent
- athetosis
- big crunch
- bradykinin
- cannot
- can't
- cap'n
- circumflex
- constrictor
- contractile
- convulsion
- couldn't
- cramp
- crasis
- creatine
- 'd
- depressor
- diary
- didn't
- dilator
- doesn't
- don't
- elevator
- extensor
- fasciculation
- fibrillate
- FitzGerald contraction
- flexor
- gimme
- gonna
- gotta
- hadn't
- hasn't
- haven't
- heart
- he'd
- he'll
- helluva
- he's
- histamine
- I'd
- I'll
- I'm
- innit
