Contraction Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (original) (raw)

Britannica Dictionary definition of CONTRACTION

1

[noncount]

:

the act or process of making something smaller or of becoming smaller

• The hot metal undergoes contraction as it cools.
• Two teams were eliminated in the contraction of the baseball league.

2

[count]

medical

:

a movement of a muscle that causes it to become tight and that is sometimes painful

especially

:

a movement of muscles in the womb when a woman is giving birth to a child

• She felt contractions every two minutes.

3

[count]

:

a short form of a word or word group that is made by leaving out a sound or letter

• The word “don't” is a contraction of “do not.”