Search results for 'contract':

contract noun 1 an agreement, especially a legally binding one. 2 a document setting out the terms of such an agreement. 3 slang in criminal circles: an agreement to kill someone in return for a usually considerable sum of money. verb (contracted, contracting) 1 tr & intr to make or become smaller. 2 tr & intr said of muscles: to make or become shorter, especially in order to bend a joint, etc. 3 tr & intr said of the brows: to draw together into a frown. 4 to catch (a disease). 5 to enter into (an alliance or marriage). 6 to incur or accumulate (a debt). 7 tr & intr said of a word, phrase, etc: to reduce to a short form • 'Are not' is contracted to 'aren't'. 8 tr & intr (often contract with someone) to enter a legal contract concerning them. contractable adj said of a disease, habit, etc: likely to be contracted. contractible adj said of a muscle, word, etc: capable of being contracted. put a contract out on someone to arrange to have them killed by a third party, usually for a considerable sum of money.
ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from Latin contractus agreement, from contrahere to draw together.