a. [ L. contractus, p. p. ] Contracted; affianced; betrothed. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Contracted; p. pr. & vb. n. Contracting. ] [ 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 lessen; as, to contract one's sphere of action. [ 1913 Webster ]

In all things desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

Each from each contract new strength and light. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high station. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for. [ 1913 Webster ]

We have contracted an inviolable amity, peace, and lague with the aforesaid queen. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many persons . . . had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity . . . prohibited by law. Strype. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To betroth; to affiance. [ 1913 Webster ]

The truth is, she and I, long since contracted,
Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Gram.) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. contractus, fr. contrahere: cf. F. contrat, formerly also contract. ] 1. (Law) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act of formally betrothing a man and woman. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is the the night of the contract. Longwellow.

Syn. -- Covenant; agreement; compact; stipulation; bargain; arrangement; obligation. See Covenant. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Years contracting to a moment. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Contracted; as, a contract verb. Goodwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. capable of being transmitted by infection; same as communicable, 1; -- of disease.
Syn. -- catching, communicable, contagious, transmissible, transmittable. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. 1. Drawn together; shrunken; wrinkled; narrow; as, a contracted brow; a contracted noun. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Narrow; illiberal; selfish; as, a contracted mind; contracted views. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Bargained for; betrothed; as, a contracted peace. [ 1913 Webster ]

Inquire me out contracted bachelors. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being contracted; narrowness; meanness; selfishness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capability of being contracted; quality of being contractible; as, the contractibility and dilatability of air. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of contraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

Small air bladders distable and contractible. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]