Contraction

Con`trac´tion

n.	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.

Noun	1.	contraction - (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber) Synonyms: muscle contraction, muscular contraction
	2.	contraction - the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together; "the contraction of a gas on cooling" Synonyms: compression, condensation
	3.	contraction - a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds; "`won't' is a contraction of `will not'"; "`o'clock' is a contraction of `of the clock'"
	4.	contraction - the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope Antonyms: enlargement, expansion - the act of increasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope

contraction - reduction