contracting Definition

contract
noun

1. An agreement, especially a legally binding one.

Thesaurus: agreement, deal, commitment, guarantee, promise, covenant, compact, settlement, understanding, treaty.
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

tr & intr
1. To make or become smaller.

Thesaurus: narrow, shrink, reduce, constrict, diminish, recede, abate, subside, dwindle; Antonym: stretch, expand.
tr & intr
2. Said of muscles: to make or become shorter, especially in order to bend a joint, etc.
tr & intr
3. 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).
tr & intr
7. Said of a word, phrase, etc: to reduce to a short form.

Example: ‘Are not' is contracted to ‘aren't'
tr & intr
8. To enter a legal contract concerning them.

Thesaurus: agree, pledge, engage, bargain, undertake, stipulate.
Form: contract with someone (often)

Derivative: contractable
adj

Said of a disease, habit, etc: likely to be contracted.

Derivative: contractible
adj

Said of a muscle, word, etc: capable of being contracted.

Idiom: 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.

Phrasal Verb: contract in or out

To arrange to participate, or not to participate, eg in a pension scheme.

Phrasal Verb: contract something out or put something out to contract

Said of a business company, etc: to arrange for part of a job to be done by another company.