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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary con·tract
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin contractus, from contrahere to draw together, make a contract, reduce in size, from com- + trahere to draw DATE 14th century 1. a. a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties; especially : one legally enforceable b. a business arrangement for the supply of goods or services at a fixed price make parts on contract c. the act of marriage or an agreement to marry 2. a document describing the terms of a contract 3. the final bid to win a specified number of tricks in bridge 4. an order or arrangement for a hired assassin to kill someone his enemies put out a contract on him
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French contracter to agree upon, from Latin contractus DATE 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to bring on oneself especially inadvertently : incur contracting debts b. to become affected with contract pneumonia 2. a. to establish or undertake by contract contract a job b. betroth ; also : to establish (a marriage) formally c. (1) to hire by contract contract a lawyer (2) to purchase (as goods or services) on a contract basis — often used with out 3. a. limit , restrict contract the scope of their activities b. knit , wrinkle frown contracted his brow c. to draw together : concentrate 4. to reduce to smaller size by or as if by squeezing or forcing together contract a muscle 5. to shorten (as a word) by omitting one or more sounds or letters intransitive verb 1. to make a contract 2. to draw together so as to become diminished in size metal contracts on cooling also : to become less in compass, duration, or length muscle contracts in tetanus Synonyms. contract , shrink , condense , compress , constrict , deflate mean to decrease in bulk or volume. contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length caused her muscles to contract shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions the sweater will shrink when washed condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content condense the essay into a paragraph compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance compressed cotton into bales constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter the throat is constricted by a tight collar deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas deflate the balloon
adjective DATE 1936 : hired to execute a contract a contract worker a contract killer English Etymology contract early 14c., from L. contractus, pp. of contrahere "to draw together," metaphorically, "to make a bargain," from com-"together" + trahere "to draw" (see tract (1)). Noun came first, then verb and variant meaning "become narrowed, get smaller," especially of a withered limb (both 17c.). U.S. underworld slang sense of "arrangement to kill someone" first recorded 1940. Related: Contracting (1580s). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ contract con·tract noun/ 5kCntrAkt; NAmE 5kB:n- / 1. ~ (with sb) | ~ (between A and B) | ~ (for sth / to do sth) an official written agreement 合同；合约；契约: to enter into / make / sign a contract with the supplier 与供应商签订合同 a contract for the supply of vehicles 提供车辆的合约 to win / be awarded a contract to build a new school 获得承建一所新学校的合同 These clauses form part of the contract between buyer and seller. 这些条款构成买卖双方所签合同的一部份。 a contract of employment 雇用合同 a research contract 从事研究的合同 a contract worker (= one employed on a contract for a fixed period of time) 合同工 I was on a three-year contract that expired last week. 我签订的三年期合同已于上周期满。 Under the terms of the contract the job should have been finished yesterday. 根据合同的条款,这项工作本应于昨天完成。 She is under contract to (= has a contract to work for) a major American computer firm. 她已签约为一家大的美国计算机公司工作。 The offer has been accepted, subject to contract (= the agreement is not official until the contract is signed). 此报价已获接受,尚需以签约为准。 They were sued for breach of contract (= not keeping to a contract). 他们被指控违约。 2. ~ (on sb) (informal) an agreement to kill sb for money (雇用杀人的)协议,合同: to take out a contract on sb 获得杀害某人的协议 verb/ kEn5trAkt / 1. to become less or smaller; to make sth become less or smaller (使)收缩,缩小: ▪ [V] Glass contracts as it cools. 玻璃遇冷收缩。 a contracting market 萎缩的市场 The heart muscles contract to expel the blood. 心脏肌肉收缩以挤压出血液。 ▪ [VN] 'I will' and 'I shall' are usually contracted to 'I'll' (= made shorter). I will 和 I shall 通常缩约为 I'll。 The exercise consists of stretching and contracting the leg muscles. 此项训练包括伸展和收缩腿部肌肉。 OPP expand 2. [VN] (medical 医) to get an illness 感染(疾病)；得(病): to contract AIDS / a virus / a disease 感染艾滋病/病毒/疾病 3. ~ sb (to sth) to make a legal agreement with sb for them to work for you or provide you with a service 与…订立合同(或契约): ▪ [VN to inf] The player is contracted to play until August. 这位选手签约参加比赛到八月份。 ▪ [VN] Several computer engineers have been contracted to the finance department. 有几位计算机工程师与财务部门签订了合同。 4. [V to inf] to make a legal agreement to work for sb or provide them with a service 订立…的合同(或契约): She has contracted to work 20 hours a week. 她已签订每周工作 20 小时的合同。 5. [VN] ~ a marriage / an alliance (with sb) (formal) to formally agree to marry sb / form an alliance with sb (与…)订立(婚约)；(与…)缔结(同盟) PHRASAL VERBS ▪ con7tract 'in (to sth) (BrE) to formally agree that you will take part in sth 订约参与 ▪ con7tract 'out (of sth) (BrE) to formally agree that you will not take part in sth 订约不参与；退出(或不参加)…合约: Many employees contracted out of the pension plan. 许多雇员退出了养老金计划的合约。 ▪ con7tract sth ↔ 'out (to sb) to arrange for work to be done by another company rather than your own 订约把…承包出去 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English contract noun 1 written agreement ADJ. long-term, permanent | casual, fixed-term, short-term | three-year, two-year, etc. | formal, written | verbal | legal, valid | void The contract was declared void. | enforceable, unenforceable (law) | big, important, major | lucrative | business, commercial | employment, maintenance, research, service | catering, construction, haulage | marriage VERB + CONTRACT have Many workers do not have written contracts. | bid for, tender for Eighteen companies are bidding for the contract. | award (sb), give sb | get, win | lose The firm lost the contract to a large London company. | negotiate She managed to negotiate a permanent contract with the firm. | draw up, write | conclude, enter into, make, sign He entered into a contract with his former employer. | carry out, execute the firm carrying out the construction contract | cancel, end, repudiate (law), rescind (law), terminate Either party can terminate the contract at any time. | be subject to The offer has been accepted, subject to contract (= the agreement is not legally binding before contracts are signed). | be in breach of, break, violate If you go on strike you will be in breach of contract. | enforce (law) | exchange (law) When a house is auctioned the successful bidder must exchange contracts immediately and pay a deposit. CONTRACT + VERB expire The contract expires at the end of next year. | be worth sth a series of major contracts worth millions of pounds CONTRACT + NOUN worker (= one on a fixed-term contract) | law PREP. in a/the ~ They put a clause in the contract stipulating that the work should be finished by next month. | on a ~ He's on a three-year fixed-term contract. | under ~ (to) At that stage of her career she was still under contract to one of the big Hollywood studios. | under a/the ~ Under her contract of employment, Mrs Lee could not be required to work at a different site. | ~ between the contract between the employer and the employee | ~ for They won a contract for the delivery of five fighter planes. | ~ with Do you have a contract with your employer? PHRASES (a) breach of contract The company is being sued for breach of contract. | a contract of employment/sale You should make sure that you have a formal contract of employment. | the terms of a contract By using cheaper materials, the company has broken the terms of its contract. | under the terms of a contract Under the terms of the contract the job should have been finished yesterday. 2 agreement to kill sb VERB + CONTRACT take out | have out He has a contract out on you. CONTRACT + NOUN killer, killing PREP. ~ on She took out a contract on her ex-husband. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition n. Function: noun a usually legally enforceable arrangement between two or more parties FF1C;a contract for a new roofFF1E; Synonyms: agreement, bargain, bond, compact, convention, covenant, pact, transaction; compare AGREEMENT 2 , TREATY n. Function: verb 1 to become affected by a disease or disorder FF1C;contracted a severe cold that later turned into pneumoniaFF1E; Synonyms: catch, come down (with), get, sicken (with or of), take Related Words: acquire, obtain; decline, fail, sink, weaken; afflict, derange, disorder, indispose, upset; bring on, cause, induce; succumb (to) Idioms: be laid by the heels by, fall (a) victim to 2 Synonyms: INCUR 3 to make or become smaller in bulk or volume FF1C;contract a muscleFF1E; Synonyms: compress, concentrate, condense, constrict, shrink Related Words: decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, reduce Contrasted Words: dilate, distend, inflate, swell Antonyms: expand Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: liberty of contract , or literal contract , or marine contract , or maritime contract , or marriage contract , or original contract , or parol contract , or quasi contract , or severance contract , or simple contract , or social contract , or special contract , or specialty contract , or super contract bridge , or wagering contract , or yellow-dog contract , or forward contract , or breach of contract , or contract uti , or four-walls contract , or cash contract , or commutative contract , or contract bond , or contract bridge , or contract carrier , or contract grade , or contract in , or contract labor , or contract note , or contract of affreightment , or contract on , or contract out , or contract pinochle , or contract practice , or contract quasi , or contract rummy , or contract shop , or contract station , or contract system , or contract tablet , or contract theory , or contract verb , or contract whist , or cutthroat contract , or divisible contract , or entirety of contract , or facilities contract , or family contract , or fiduciary contract , or formal contract , or freedom of contract , or gratuitous contract , or hospital service contract , or implied contract con·tract I. \ˈkän.ˌtrakt\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin contractus, from contractus, past participle of contrahere to draw together, collect, cause, make a bargain, make a contract, from com- + trahere to draw — more at draw 1. a. : an agreement between two or more persons or parties to do or not to do something : bargain , compact , covenant ; especially :an agreement that is legally enforceable — see quasi contract; compare consideration 8b, deed , nudum pactum, pactum , parol contract, specialty contract b. : the act by which two persons enter into the marriage relation; also : the agreement so to do : betrothal c. archaic : a legal transaction (as a grant between private parties or a grant, charter, or franchise from the state) < no State shall … pass any bill of attainder … or law impairing the obligation of contracts — U.S. Constitution > d. : a collective agreement (as between an employer and a union) 2. obsolete : a drawing together : mutual attraction 3. : a writing made by the parties to evidence the terms and conditions of a contract 4. : the department or principles of law having to do with contracts 5. card games a. : an undertaking usually by the player or side that makes the highest bid to win a specified number of tricks or points; also : the number of tricks or points so undertaken b. contract bridge : the final bid c. : contract bridge 6. [contract (II) ] : a word or form undergoing contraction or resulting from contraction 7. : the customary unit of trading in produce exchanges < one contract in wheat is 5,000 bushels > 8. : one of the installments in a course of schoolwork which a student undertakes to complete within a given time working at his own speed and under individual instruction according to a system originated in the public high school of Dalton, Mass. II. \(ˈ)kän.|traktˈ, kən.ˈ-\ adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French contracte, from Latin contractus, past participle : contracted < a contract noun > : shrunken , narrowedIII. \in sense 1 usually ˈkänˌtrakt; in other senses usually kənˈtrakt\verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Middle French contracter to agree upon, enter into, from Latin contractus contract (agreement) transitive verb 1. a. : to enter into with mutual obligations : establish or undertake by contract < contracted an engagement with a neighboring … farmer — Rose Macaulay > : place under contract b. : betroth , affiance < contracted his daughter with the son of an old friend > 2. a. : to bring on oneself : acquire usually involuntarily (as a habit) : catch < contract a disease > < contracted pneumonia > b. : incur < contract an obligation > < contracted numerous debts > 3. a. : limit , restrict < the town's limits had not been contracted > b. obsolete : abridge c. : to draw together so as to wrinkle : knit < a frown contracted his brow > d. : to draw together or nearer : concentrate < contract his armies into one force > 4. [Latin contractus, past participle] : to reduce to less compass or smaller size : squeeze or force together : shorten , narrow , lessen < contract a muscle > : cause to shrink < reexpand the world which Bacon had so effectively contracted— J.W.Krutch > 5. : to shorten (as a word) by omitting one or more sounds or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one intransitive verb 1. : to make a contract : covenant , bargain < responsible for contracting with local institutions for the confinement … of Federal offenders — Current Biography > < contract for the supply of meat to the barracks > 2. : to draw together so as to diminish in size or extent : shrink < iron contracts in cooling > : become reduced in compass, duration, or length < years contracting to a moment — William Wordsworth > specifically of a muscle or muscle fiber : to shorten and broaden Synonyms: condense , compress , constrict , deflate , shrink : contract is a general antonym for expand and indicates any drawing in and limiting of area or scope < the range of classical reading might extend, or from time to time contract — H.O.Taylor > < since World War II gold mining has expanded considerably while supplies of Negro labor have been contracting — New York Times > < he sank back into his chair, seeming to contract, to wither before their shocked eyes — Angus Mowat > condense indicates a reduction of space occupied with resulting greater compactness of original material < condense gas into a liquid > < in so far as we can condense Langland's message into a few words, we must sum it up as a long search for three degrees of excellence in life — Do Well, Do Better, and Do Best — G.G.Coulton > compress indicates a pressing, often against resistance, into smaller compass and definite shape < great depths of snow are accumulated, and this weight causes lower layers to compress and form ice — Patricia Spring > < one of those tiny handkerchiefs, compressed into the shape of a small puffball by being clutched in the palm of a feverish hand — J.C.Powys > < I shall make no attempt to compress a history of modern philosophy within the limits of one lecture — A.N.Whitehead > constrict indicates a binding, squeezing, or gripping contracting, often forced, onerous, or painful < the education of this promising young aristocrat constricted by the anti-intellectual traditions of his class excluded him from “the two great conceptions of our day … artistic integrity … and … social justice” — Harry Levin > < from the health point of view garments should in general never be so tight as to constrict the tissues — Morris Fishbein > deflate indicates contracting brought about by the exhausting of air or gas that fills or inflates it < deflate a balloon > < in his lecture on temperance he deflated those who felt too superior to associate with a reformed drunkard — Ruth P. Randall > shrink indicates a contracting of length, scope, or volume but may suggest the contracting of wet fabrics < as colonial empires shrink, Europe's horizons will too — A.E.Stevenson †1965 > < in 1906 he met his first sharp reverse in losses incurred by the San Francisco earthquake, but it was not until some seven years later that his modest fortune began to shrink — G.C.Knight > Synonym: see in addition promise .IV. noun : an arrangement whereby an assassin is paid to murder a particular person < the mob put out a contract on the man's life — Patricia Burstein > |
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