Dictionary.net

reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened"

a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law

be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness; "He got AIDS"; "She came down with pneumonia"; "She took a chill"

become smaller or draw together; "The fabric shrank"; "The balloon shrank"

make smaller; "The heat contracted the woollen garment"

reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened"

a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law

be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness; "He got AIDS"; "She came down with pneumonia"; "She took a chill"

To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lessen; as, to contract one's sphere of action.

To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit.

To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease.

To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for.

To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.

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.

To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail.

Contracted; as, a contract verb.

Contracted; affianced; betrothed.

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.

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

The act of formally betrothing a man and woman.

A legally binding agreement involving two or more people or businesses (called parties) that sets forth what the parties will or will not do. Most contracts that can be carried out within one year can be either oral or written. Major exceptions include contracts involving the ownership of real estate and commercial contracts for goods worth $500 or more, which must be in writing to be enforceable. (See statute of frauds.) A contract is formed when competent parties -- usually adults of sound mind or business entities -- mutually agree to provide each other some benefit (called consideration), such as a promise to pay money in exchange for a promise to deliver specified goods or services or the actual delivery of those goods and services. A contract normally requires one party to make a reasonably detailed offer to do something -- including, typically, the price, time for performance and other essential terms and conditions -- and the other to accept without significant change. For example, if I offer to sell you ten roses for $5 to be delivered next Thursday and you say "It's a deal," we've made a valid contract. On the other hand, if one party fails to offer something of benefit to the other, there is no contract. For example, if Maria promises to fix Josh's car, there is no contract unless Josh promises something in return for Maria's services.

To draw closer together; shorten; condense; wrinkle; to become affected with; acquire; to establish by formal agreement; betroth.

To shrink; bargain or agree to do something; make a promise of marriage.

A written agreement.

To draw together: to lessen: to shorten: to acquire: to incur: to bargain for: to betroth.

To shrink: to become less.

An agreement on fixed terms: a bond: a betrothment: the writing containing an agreement.

An agreement; bargain.

To draw together; lessen; shorten; incur.

To shrink; bargain for.

To draw together; narrow; limit; shorten; condense.

To take; become affected with, as a disease.

To shrink.

To make a contract.

A formal agreement, or the writing containing it.

n. A compact or bargain; —an agreement or covenant; —formal writing containing such agreement; —the act or deed of betrothal.

A bargain, a compact ; an act whereby a man and woman are betrothed to one another ; a writing in which the terms of a bargain are included.