Definition & Synonyms of Contract


Synonyms & Definition of Contract

From WordNet 2.0 :

Contract : (noun)
1: a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law
2: (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make [syn: declaration]
3: a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid [syn: contract bridge]
Contract : (verb)
1: enter into a contractual arrangement [syn: undertake] ... ( more )

(_) Expand Definition

2: engage by written agreement; "They signed two new pitchers for the next season" [syn: sign, sign on, sign up]
3: squeeze or press together; "she compressed her lips"; "the spasm contracted the muscle" [syn: compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, press]
4: become smaller or draw together; "The fabric shrank"; "The balloon shrank" [syn: shrink] [ant: expand, stretch]
5: be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness; "He got AIDS"; "She came down with pneumonia"; "She took a chill" [syn: take, get]
6: make smaller; "The heat contracted the woollen garment"
7: compress or concentrate; "Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan" [syn: condense, concentrate]
8: make or become more narrow or restricted; "The selection was narrowed"; "The road narrowed" [syn: narrow] [ant: widen]
9: reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened" [syn: abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, reduce] [ant: elaborate]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

OD, abbreviate, abridge, abstract, accept obligation, accord, acquire, affair, affiance, afflict, agree, agree to, agreement, answer for, arrangement, attempt, bag, bang, bar, bargain, bargain for, barricade, batten, batten down, be answerable for, be brought down, be felled, be responsible for, be security for, be seized of, be struck down, be traumatized, become engaged, betroth, bind, binding agreement, bob, boil down, bolt, bond, break out, bring down, bring on, bring upon, business, button, button up, capsulize, capture, cartel, catch, catch cold, cause, choke, choke off, circumscribe, clap, clip, close, close up, coarct, collapse, collective agreement, come by, come down with, come in for, come into, commit, commitment, compact, compress, concentrate, condense, confine, consolidate, consortium, constrict, constringe, contain, contract an engagement, convention, corral, corrugate, covenant, covenant of salt, cover, cramp, crease, crop, curtail, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off short, cut short, deal, decline, decrease, derange, derive, develop, dicker, diminish, disorder, do a deal, dock, drag down, draw, draw in, draw together, dwindle, earn, effort, elide, employment contract, engage, engagement, enter into possession, enterprise, epitomize, erupt, fail, fall in with, fall into, fasten, fever, fold, fold up, foreshorten, formal agreement, gain, get, go bail for, go in, go into shock, harvest, have an understanding, incur, indispose, induce, invite, ironclad agreement, key, knit, latch, legal agreement, legal contract, lessen, limit, lock, lock out, lock up, make, make a deal, minify, mow, mutual agreement, narrow, net, nip, obligate, obligation, obtain, occlude, operation, overdose, pact, paction, padlock, plan, plight, plumb, poll, pollard, preengagement, procure, program, project, promise, proposition, protocol, prune, publish the banns, pucker, pucker up, pull down, purse, reap, recap, recapitulate, recognizance, reduce, restrict, retrench, run, run a temperature, sack, scale down, score, seal, seal off, seal up, secure, shake hands on, shave, shear, shorten, shrink, shut, shut the door, shut up, sicken, sink, slam, snap, snape, snub, solidify, squeeze, squeeze shut, stipulate, stipulation, straiten, strangle, strangulate, stunt, succumb to, sum up, summarize, synopsize, take, take ill, take in, take the vows, taper, task, telescope, transaction, treaty, trim, troth, truncate, understanding, undertake, undertaking, union contract, upset, valid contract, venture, verbal agreement, wage contract, weaken, welcome, win, work, wrinkle, zip up, zipper,

Encyclopedia Index: A B C D E F G I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z