contract

plural contracts

1. An agreement between two or more parties, to perform a specific job or work order, often temporary or of fixed duration and usually governed by a written agreement.

   sign a contract

   5 more examples

   write up a contract

   read a contract

   countersign a contract

   legally-binding contract

   unwritten contract

   Synonyms: compact, pact

   1. A period of work agreed to under a temporary contract.

      He worked a six-month contract on an oil rig.

      Synonyms: compact, pact

2. lawAn agreement which the law will enforce in some way. A legally binding contract must contain at least one promise, i.e., a commitment or offer, by an offeror to and accepted by an offeree to do something in the future. A contract is thus executory rather than executed.
3. lawThe document containing such an agreement.
4. lawA part of legal studies dealing with laws and jurisdiction related to contracts.

   Synonyms: contract law

5. informalAn order, usually given to a hired assassin, to kill someone.

   The mafia boss put a contract out on the man who betrayed him.

6. bridgeThe declarer's undertaking to win the number of tricks bid with a stated suit as trump.

1. not comparableobsoleteContracted; affianced; betrothed.

   But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes, feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel

   1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 1

2. not comparableobsoleteNot abstract; concrete.

   But now in eche kinde of these, there are certaine nombers named Abſtracte: and other called nombers Contracte.

   1557, Robert Recorde, The Whetstone of Witte

present singular third person contracts · participle present contracting · participle past contracted · past contracted

1. ambitransitiveTo draw together or nearer; to shorten, narrow, or lessen.

   to contract one’s sphere of action

   3 more examples

   The snail’s body contracted into its shell.

   We ſee in all things how deſuetude do's contract and narrow our faculties, ſo that we may apprehend only thoſe things wherein we are converſant.

   1674, [Richard Allestree], “Of Boasting”, in The Government of the Tongue. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: At the Theater, →OCLC, page 168

   Mutual was the sudden transport; / Breathless questions followed fast, / Years contracting to a moment, / Each word greedier than the last; […]

   1830, William Wordsworth, “The Armenian Lady’s Love”, in Yarrow Revisited, and Other Poems, London: […] Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longman, […]; and Edward Moxon, […], published 1835, →OCLC, stanza 18, page 102

   Synonyms: abate, decrease, lessen, reduce, shorten, shrink

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

   The word “cannot” is often contracted into “can’t”.

3. intransitiveTo make an agreement or contract; to covenant.

   The company contracted with the council to build 200 new houses.

4. transitiveTo enter into a contract with (someone or something).

   We have just contracted new pest control services.

5. archaictransitiveTo enter into (an agreement) with mutual obligations; to make (an arrangement).

   We have contracted an inviolable amitie, peace, and league with the aforesaid Queene.

   1589, Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC

   1 more example

   Many persons […] had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity […] prohibited by law.

   1721, John Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials

6. transitiveTo bring on; to incur; to acquire.

   to contract a debt

   4 more examples

   She contracted the habit of smoking in her teens.

   Smit with the love of Siſter-arts we came, / And met congenial, mingling flame with flame; / Like friendly colours found our arts unite, / Each from each contract new ſtrength and light.

   1717, Alexander Pope, “To Mr. Jervas, with Fresnoy’s Art of Painting, Translated by Mr. Dryden”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], →OCLC, page 391

   This talent of discretion, […] is no where so serviceable as to the clergy, to whose preferment nothing is so fatal as the character of wit, politeness in reading or manners, or that kind of behaviour, which we contract by having too much conversation with persons of high station and eminency; […]

   a. 1746 (date written), Jonathan Swift, “An Essay on the Fates of Clergymen”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume V, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 113

   A love like mine, Sir, I feel, is contracted once and for ever.

   1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 1, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC

7. transitiveTo gain or acquire (an illness).

   An officer contracted hepatitis B and died after handling the blood-soaked clothing of a homicide victim […]

   1999, Davidson C. Umeh, Protect Your Life: A Health Handbook for Law Enforcement Professionals, page 69

   1 more example

   At that time, the city [Christiania, now Oslo] was in the grip of a cholera epidemic, and victims were dying at the rate of 60 a day. Bradshaw contracted the disease, and died on September 6 [1853].

   1950 January, “Notes and News: George Bradshaw's Grave”, in Railway Magazine, pages 61–62

   Synonyms: catch, get

8. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit.

   And didſt contract, and purſe thy brow together, / As if thou then hadſt ſhut vp in thy braine, / Some horrible counſell: […]

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 45

9. To betroth; to affiance.

   The truth is, ſhe and I (long ſince contracted) / Are now ſo ſure that nothing can diſſolve vs: […]

   c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 60, column 2