CONTRACT

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does contract mean? 

• CONTRACT (noun)
  The noun CONTRACT has 3 senses:

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

3. a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid

  Familiarity information: CONTRACT used as a noun is uncommon.

• CONTRACT (verb)
  The verb CONTRACT has 9 senses:

1. enter into a contractual arrangement

2. engage by written agreement

3. squeeze or press together

4. be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness

5. become smaller or draw together

6. make smaller

7. compress or concentrate

8. make or become more narrow or restricted

9. reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

  Familiarity information: CONTRACT used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONTRACT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("contract" is a kind of...):

written agreement (a legal document summarizing the agreement between parties)

Meronyms (parts of "contract"):

boilerplate (standard formulations uniformly found in certain types of legal documents or news stories)

arbitration clause (a clause in a contract providing for arbitration of disputes arising under the contract)

fine print; small print (the part of a contract that contains reservations and qualifications that are often printed in small type)

reserve clause (a clause that used to be part of the contract with a professional athlete extending the contract for a year beyond its expiration)

Domain member category:

kept; unbroken ((especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded)

terminated ((of e.g. a contract or term of office) having come to an end)

subscribed ((of a contract or will or other document) having a signature written at the end)

broken; unkept ((especially of promises or contracts) having been violated or disregarded)

contract; declaration ((contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make)

renegociate; renegotiate (revise the terms of in order to limit or regain excess profits gained by the contractor)

article; clause (a separate section of a legal document (as a statute or contract or will))

handclasp; handshake; handshaking; shake (grasping and shaking a person's hand (as to acknowledge an introduction or to agree on a contract))

loophole (an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "contract"):

adhesion contract; contract of adhesion (a contract that heavily restricts one party while leaving the other free (as some standard form printed contracts); implies inequality in bargaining power)

indenture (a contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified term)

contract of hazard; sale in gross (a sale of a tract of land as a whole without a warranty as to the acreage)

acquisition agreement; merger agreement (contract governing the merger of two or more companies)

licensing agreement (contract giving someone the legal right to use a patent or trademark)

distribution agreement (a contract governing the marketing of an item of merchandise)

employment agreement; employment contract (contract between employer and employee)

collective agreement; labor agreement; labor contract (contract between labor and management governing wages and benefits and working conditions)

concession; grant (a contract granting the right to operate a subsidiary business)

articles of agreement; shipping articles (a contract between crew and captain of a ship)

partnership (a contract between two or more persons who agree to pool talent and money and share profits or losses)

subcontract (a contract assigning to another party some obligations of a prior contract)

severable contract (a contract which, in the event of a breach by one of the parties, can be considered as several independent agreements expressed in a single instrument)

service contract (a contract for maintenance services)

cost-plus contract (a contract in which the contractor is paid his total cost plus a stated percentage of profit)

contract under seal; sealed instrument; special contract (a contract that is signed and has the (wax) seal of the signer attached)

aleatory contract (a contract whose performance by one party depends on the occurrence of an uncertain contingent event (but if it is contingent on the outcome of a wager it is not enforceable))

bilateral contract (a contract involving mutual promises (each party is both promisor and promisee))

charter (a contract to hire or lease transportation)

conditional contract (a contract whose performance depends on a fact or event that affects legal relations)

gambling contract (a contract whose performance by one party is contingent on the outcome of a bet; unenforceable by statute in most jurisdictions)

lease (a contract granting use or occupation of property during a specified time for a specified payment)

marriage contract; marriage settlement (a prenuptial agreement or contract)

output contract (a contract in which you promise to deliver your entire output to the other party who promises to accept it)

insurance; insurance policy; policy (written contract or certificate of insurance)

purchase agreement; purchase contract (a contract stating the terms of a purchase)

quasi contract (a contract created by law for reasons of justice without any expression of assent)

requirements contract (a contract in which you agree to purchase all your requirements of a particular sort from one party)

Derivation:

contract (engage by written agreement)

contractual (relating to or part of a binding legal agreement)

contract (enter into a contractual arrangement)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

contract; declaration

Hypernyms ("contract" is a kind of...):

bid; bidding ((bridge) the number of tricks a bridge player is willing to contract to make)

Domain category:

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

Holonyms ("contract" is a part of...):

bridge (any of various card games based on whist for four players)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

contract; contract bridge

Hypernyms ("contract" is a kind of...):

bridge (any of various card games based on whist for four players)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "contract"):

no-trump (a version of contract bridge in which no suit is designated as trump for the duration of the hand)

• CONTRACT (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Enter into a contractual arrangement

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

contract; undertake

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

assure; promise (make a promise or commitment)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

stipulate (make an oral contract or agreement in the verbal form of question and answer that is necessary to give it legal force)

sign (be engaged by a written agreement)

condition; qualify; specify; stipulate (specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement)

lease; rent (let for money)

charter; hire; lease; rent (hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They contract to move

Derivation:

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

contractor (someone (a person or firm) who contracts to build things)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Engage by written agreement

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

contract; sign; sign on; sign up

Context example:

They signed two new pitchers for the next season

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

employ; engage; hire (engage or hire for work)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

contract out (assign a job to someone outside one's own business)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Squeeze or press together

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

compact; compress; constrict; contract; press; squeeze

Context example:

the spasm contracted the muscle

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

tighten (become tight or tighter)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

choke; strangle (constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing)

choke; scrag (wring the neck of)

choke; fret; gag (be too tight; rub or press)

bear down; overbear (contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery)

convulse (cause to contract)

convulse (contract involuntarily, as in a spasm)

strangulate (constrict a hollow organ or vessel so as to stop the flow of blood or air)

astringe (constrict or bind or draw together)

prim (contract one's lips)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

contraction ((physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber))

contractor (a bodily organ that contracts)

contracture (an abnormal and usually permanent contraction of a muscle)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

contract; get; take

Context example:

She took a chill

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

come down; sicken (get sick)

Verb group:

catch (contract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

catch (contract)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

contracting (becoming infected)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Become smaller or draw together

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

contract; shrink

Context example:

The balloon shrank

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

decrease; diminish; fall; lessen (decrease in size, extent, or range)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

flex (contract)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Antonym:

expand (extend in one or more directions)

Derivation:

contraction (the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Make smaller

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The heat contracted the woollen garment

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

reduce; shrink (reduce in size; reduce physically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

purse; wrinkle (gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

contraction (the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Compress or concentrate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

concentrate; condense; contract

Context example:

Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Verb group:

condense (become more compact or concentrated)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

contraction (the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Make or become more narrow or restricted

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

contract; narrow

Context example:

The road narrowed

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

bottleneck (become narrow, like a bottleneck)

taper off (become smaller or less active)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

contraction (the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

abbreviate; abridge; contract; cut; foreshorten; reduce; shorten

Context example:

The manuscript must be shortened

Hypernyms (to "contract" is one way to...):

decrease; lessen; minify (make smaller)

Verb group:

cut; edit; edit out (cut and assemble the components of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contract"):

concentrate; condense; digest (make more concise)

bowdlerise; bowdlerize; castrate; expurgate; shorten (edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

expand (add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing)

Derivation:

contraction (the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope)

 Context examples 

Finally, if you have delayed signing a contract, you will have a favorable day to sign on November 29, when Mercury will work with Saturn to give your venture stability and long-term life.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Your body needs calcium to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, to secrete hormones and enzymes and to send messages through the nervous system.

(Calcium, NIH: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements)

It also causes smooth muscles to contract.

(Bombesin, NCI Dictionary)

A way of contracting a disease by interacting with an individual that has been exposed to the disease while undergoing a medical procedure.

(Contact With Exposure During Medical Procedure, NCI Thesaurus)

A way of contracting a disease by physically associating with an infected group of individuals.

(Contact With Exposure In Crowd Setting, NCI Thesaurus)

A way of contracting a disease by interacting with an individual that is considered at high risk for having the disease.

(Contact With Medical Risk Factor, NCI Thesaurus)

A person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings.

(Contract Officer, NCI Thesaurus)

Cooling of Mercury’s interior caused the planet’s single outer crust plate to contract and bend.

(‘Great Valley’ Found on Mercury, NASA)

In the contracted condition the epithelium consists of many cell layers, whereas in the stretched condition usually only two layers of cells can be distinguished.

(Bladder Urothelial Cell, NCI Thesaurus)

Like all deserts, the boundaries of the Sahara fluctuate with the seasons, expanding in the dry winter and contracting during the wetter summer.

(New study finds world’s largest desert, the Sahara, has grown by 10 percent since 1920, National Science Foundation)