Con*trac"tion (?), n. [L.
contractio: cf. F. contraction.] 1.
The act or process of contracting, shortening, or shrinking;
the state of being contracted; as, contraction of the
heart, of the pupil of the eye, or of a tendon; the
contraction produced by cold.
2. (Math.) The process of
shortening an operation.
3. The act of incurring or becoming
subject to, as liabilities, obligation, debts, etc.; the process
of becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a
disease.
4. Something contracted or abbreviated,
as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for
plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal
conversation, etc.
5. (Gram.) The shortening of a
word, or of two words, by the omission of a letter or letters, or
by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as,
ne'er for never; can't for can not;
don't for do not; it's for it
is.
6. A marriage contract. [Obs.]
Shak.
