"contraction" in the noun sense
1. contraction, muscular contraction, muscle contraction
physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)
2. compression, condensation, contraction
the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together
"the contraction of a gas on cooling"
3. contraction
a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds
"`won't' is a contraction of `will not'"
"`o'clock' is a contraction of `of the clock'"
4. contraction
the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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