Definition of contraction in English:

contraction

noun kənˈtrakʃ(ə)nkənˈtrækʃ(ə)n

mass noun

1The process of becoming smaller.
收缩；缩小
the general contraction of the industry did further damage to morale
全面的工业缩减进一步打击了民心。
count noun the manufacturing sector suffered a severe contraction
制造部门遭受了严重的萎缩。
Example sentencesExamples
- This was the first contraction in this industry since 1976.
- The consumer price index suffered its first contraction in 16 years last year, largely due to lower food and clothing prices.
- That's an improvement from six months ago, when the board's forecasts ranged from a 1.1 percent contraction to 0.1 percent growth.
- The longer the economy continues to persist without any economic and market contraction, the more severe the crisis will be once it occurs.
- Mr Wall said that the firm's success during the continuing contraction of the textiles industry had come from attention to flexibility and customer service as well as ensuring the high quality of low quantity orders.
- In this departure from the norm one was able to identify the possible source of a severe future economic contraction when the asset bubble burst.
- He said that the world's main economies have suffered the biggest contraction in industrial output since 1975.
- It was only in recent years, following the renationalisation of 1967 and the subsequent contraction of the industry, that the organisation proved to be a success.
- This is explained by the heavy decline in total export revenues during 1986 and severe contraction in the Jordanian export commodities other than phosphate.
- The state managed further contraction under the Cotton Industry Act, only large integrated multinational firms surviving by 1990.
- But in historical terms, the economic contraction is not as severe as some would have us believe.
- Is the severe contraction of certain major components of the governmental institution abidingly new?
- However, surges in the trade deficit need not cause general economic contraction if they are accompanied by growth of demand from other sources.
- As the inevitable consolidation process proceeds in response to the many pressures that the industry faces, job contraction may be inevitable.
- The American industry has so far avoided the kind of painful contraction that the European steelworkers suffered in the last two decades.
- Moreover, the City in particular is suffering the worst contraction for a generation.
- They have not yet succeeded in skipping over the inevitable contraction of the business cycle, but they have succeeded in worsening its severity and length and delaying sound recovery.
- The severe economic contraction that began in the summer of 1937 seems to have brought the New Deal's legislative activism to a halt.
- The ongoing contraction of manufacturing industry and low inflation are seen as further arguments for a fresh cut.
- If both these processes of diversification and contraction take place simultaneously, then there may be, at the level of the organization as a whole, a structural shift of momentous dimensions.
Synonyms
shrinking, reduction in size, shrinkage
decline, decrease, diminution, dwindling
North American downtick
1. 1.1 The process in which a muscle becomes or is made shorter and tighter.
  （肌肉）收缩
  neurons control the contraction of muscles
  神经细胞控制肌肉收缩。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Load-induced injury occurs in two phases: an acute injury immediately after muscle contraction and a delayed or secondary injury.
  Thus, our measurements appear to be particularly well suited for characterization of dynamic actin rheology during airway smooth muscle contraction.
  A second, less-frequent muscle contraction, isthmus peristalsis, transports bacteria from the corpus to the terminal bulb.
  It is also vital for muscle contraction, and normal brain function.
  Acetylcholine is released by neurons to provoke muscle contraction.
  To aid in modeling cell-driven contraction, a contractile unit was generally defined as a set of applied loads which sum to zero and produce zero net torque.
  The force of contraction declines slightly as it advances, reaching a nadir at about the level where the muscle becomes smooth muscle.
  But you won't get the intensity of muscle contraction that you need to see a difference in abdominal tone.
  Myotonia refers to the inability to relax following muscle contraction,.
  At this point, the efficiency of contraction decreases and contractile failure ensues.
  The mechanical contribution of atrial contraction to normal cardiac function was first described in the 17th century by William Harvey.
  Adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, results from thickening and contraction of the capsule around the glenohumeral joint and causes loss of motion and pain.
  At very high speed the muscle is highly tensed because of physiologic effects of certain types of muscle contraction.
  Speech, gesture, and every other form of human action are, in the long run, resolvable into muscular contraction, and muscular contraction is but a transitory change in the relative positions of the parts of a muscle.
  Symptoms of atrial fibrillation are generally due to hemodynamic derangements that are the result of loss of atrial contraction and increased ventricular response.
  Unless they are very small they will take weeks to heal and undergo severe contraction.
  We conclude that potentiation of gill contraction is not a general characteristic of bivalves and that the uneven distribution is not phylogenetically based.
  This process allows synchronization of contraction throughout the heart, and is vital for proper function.
  Exercises include pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation to improve voluntary control.
  As collagen undergoes maturation and contraction, local forces give rise to further distension of air spaces.
  Synonyms
  tightening, tensing, flexing, constricting
  spasm, convulsion, clench
  Medicine myoclonus, hippus
2. 1.2usually contractionscount noun A shortening of the uterine muscles occurring at intervals before and during childbirth.
  （分娩前和分娩时的子宫肌肉）收缩，挛缩
  she was now in no doubt that she was having contractions
  Example sentencesExamples
  On the journey I was having contractions and clinging to the car.
  She started having contractions and went to hospital while Boris stayed in the hotel and drank.
  The day after the tub arrived, at 35 weeks, I began having contractions.
  It was shock more than anything because one minute I was having contractions and the next minute she was here.
  Last Friday afternoon, her waters broke and she started having contractions, even though she was two months before her due date.
  I started having contractions Saturday morning; my baby was at 36 weeks.
  Cloves are even useful as a stimulant to strengthen uterine muscle contractions during childbirth.
  I was having contractions, but only every 10 minutes so I thought she would be a long way off arriving.
  All patients were continuously monitored for fetal heart rate and uterine contractions.
  For example, it is suggested that lower doses cause more contraction of the womb, and higher doses have a more spasmodic effect and decrease the rate of contraction.
  I had been having contractions most of the week and so I wasn't really expecting anything.
  While Doris sat having contractions in the car, George played lifesaver.
  James Harding was driving his partner, Jody Marchington, to Stockport's Stepping Hill Hospital when she started having contractions with three miles to go.
  She started having contractions this morning and I really wanted you to go to the hospital with me!
  During labour, epidural anaesthetic can make the contractions less strong.
  Such drugs increase the force and duration of uterine contractions.
  But about 12.15 pm she started having contractions at their home in Moorhill Road.
  I was having contractions still, but I wasn't dilated all the way, so it was still OK for everyone to be in the room, even Joey.
  But at 10 am she began having contractions and husband Paul took her to Airedale Hospital.
  We had talked about what we would do if the twins arrived early but I was shell-shocked when the nurse said I was having contractions.
  Synonyms
  labour pains, labour
  Braxton Hicks contractions
  cramps
  archaic travail
3. 1.3 The process of shortening a word by combination or elision.
  缩约
  Example sentencesExamples
  Yes, since time immemorial, either/or have been as close as two words can get without contraction.
  The contraction of a phrase, word, or part of a word, has the analogy of a telescope being closed: biodegradable for biologically degradable; sitcom for situation comedy.
4. 1.4count noun A word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form.
  缩约词；缩约形式
  ‘goodbye’ is a contraction of ‘God be with you’
  goodbye是God be with you的缩约形式。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The brief was to produce a complete story in 100 words, exactly, not counting the title, and allowing contractions as one word.
  The use of an apostrophe here indicates a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has,’ which would make little sense in the context of this banner.
  It's a classic, and ‘shouldn't've’ is such a wonderful contraction.
  It's just a dubious contraction of the word ‘fabulous’.
  People called him Titch, a contraction of his surname, but, truth be told, he was also titchy, the shortest boy in the whole school.
  Twelve months ago, few of us had ever heard the term - a contraction of Web log - even though blogs had existed in one form or another since at least 1997.
  Bios here is a contraction of the word biosphere.
  To show you how far down that slick slope we've slid, lexicographically speaking, consider that quaint contraction ain't.
  How do you mime the archaic exclamation ‘Zounds’, a contraction of ‘God's wounds’?
  Another common mistake is to confuse it's and its, the former being a contraction of it is and the latter a possessive pronoun.
  I can't resist stopping for one brief second to point out that the word holiday is merely a contraction of the words holy day.
  Often the file extension name is a contraction of a word which describes the file, for example, ‘.txt’ is short for text.
  You know you're struggling when you go back through the chapter to expand out some contractions to make your word count for the day…
  Synonyms
  abbreviation, short form, shortened form, elision
  diminutive
  technical crasis, syneresis

Origin

Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin contractio(n-), from contrahere 'draw together' (see contract).

Rhymes

abstraction, action, attraction, benefaction, compaction, counteraction, diffraction, enaction, exaction, extraction, faction, fraction, interaction, liquefaction, malefaction, petrifaction, proaction, protraction, putrefaction, redaction, retroaction, satisfaction, stupefaction, subtraction, traction, transaction, tumefaction, vitrifaction

Definition of contraction in US English:

contraction

nounkənˈtrækʃ(ə)nkənˈtrakSH(ə)n

1The process of becoming smaller.
收缩；缩小
the general contraction of the industry did further damage to morale
全面的工业缩减进一步打击了民心。
Example sentencesExamples
- Moreover, the City in particular is suffering the worst contraction for a generation.
- The ongoing contraction of manufacturing industry and low inflation are seen as further arguments for a fresh cut.
- That's an improvement from six months ago, when the board's forecasts ranged from a 1.1 percent contraction to 0.1 percent growth.
- In this departure from the norm one was able to identify the possible source of a severe future economic contraction when the asset bubble burst.
- Mr Wall said that the firm's success during the continuing contraction of the textiles industry had come from attention to flexibility and customer service as well as ensuring the high quality of low quantity orders.
- As the inevitable consolidation process proceeds in response to the many pressures that the industry faces, job contraction may be inevitable.
- The severe economic contraction that began in the summer of 1937 seems to have brought the New Deal's legislative activism to a halt.
- Is the severe contraction of certain major components of the governmental institution abidingly new?
- The American industry has so far avoided the kind of painful contraction that the European steelworkers suffered in the last two decades.
- This is explained by the heavy decline in total export revenues during 1986 and severe contraction in the Jordanian export commodities other than phosphate.
- The consumer price index suffered its first contraction in 16 years last year, largely due to lower food and clothing prices.
- They have not yet succeeded in skipping over the inevitable contraction of the business cycle, but they have succeeded in worsening its severity and length and delaying sound recovery.
- If both these processes of diversification and contraction take place simultaneously, then there may be, at the level of the organization as a whole, a structural shift of momentous dimensions.
- This was the first contraction in this industry since 1976.
- The state managed further contraction under the Cotton Industry Act, only large integrated multinational firms surviving by 1990.
- The longer the economy continues to persist without any economic and market contraction, the more severe the crisis will be once it occurs.
- But in historical terms, the economic contraction is not as severe as some would have us believe.
- He said that the world's main economies have suffered the biggest contraction in industrial output since 1975.
- However, surges in the trade deficit need not cause general economic contraction if they are accompanied by growth of demand from other sources.
- It was only in recent years, following the renationalisation of 1967 and the subsequent contraction of the industry, that the organisation proved to be a success.
Synonyms
shrinking, reduction in size, shrinkage
1. 1.1 The process in which a muscle becomes or is made shorter and tighter.
  （肌肉）收缩
  neurons control the contraction of muscles
  神经细胞控制肌肉收缩。
  repeat the exercise, holding each contraction for one second
  反复练习，使每次收缩维持一秒。
  Example sentencesExamples
  A second, less-frequent muscle contraction, isthmus peristalsis, transports bacteria from the corpus to the terminal bulb.
  Adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, results from thickening and contraction of the capsule around the glenohumeral joint and causes loss of motion and pain.
  Speech, gesture, and every other form of human action are, in the long run, resolvable into muscular contraction, and muscular contraction is but a transitory change in the relative positions of the parts of a muscle.
  This process allows synchronization of contraction throughout the heart, and is vital for proper function.
  Unless they are very small they will take weeks to heal and undergo severe contraction.
  To aid in modeling cell-driven contraction, a contractile unit was generally defined as a set of applied loads which sum to zero and produce zero net torque.
  The force of contraction declines slightly as it advances, reaching a nadir at about the level where the muscle becomes smooth muscle.
  As collagen undergoes maturation and contraction, local forces give rise to further distension of air spaces.
  Load-induced injury occurs in two phases: an acute injury immediately after muscle contraction and a delayed or secondary injury.
  Thus, our measurements appear to be particularly well suited for characterization of dynamic actin rheology during airway smooth muscle contraction.
  Acetylcholine is released by neurons to provoke muscle contraction.
  Exercises include pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation to improve voluntary control.
  At this point, the efficiency of contraction decreases and contractile failure ensues.
  We conclude that potentiation of gill contraction is not a general characteristic of bivalves and that the uneven distribution is not phylogenetically based.
  At very high speed the muscle is highly tensed because of physiologic effects of certain types of muscle contraction.
  It is also vital for muscle contraction, and normal brain function.
  But you won't get the intensity of muscle contraction that you need to see a difference in abdominal tone.
  Symptoms of atrial fibrillation are generally due to hemodynamic derangements that are the result of loss of atrial contraction and increased ventricular response.
  The mechanical contribution of atrial contraction to normal cardiac function was first described in the 17th century by William Harvey.
  Myotonia refers to the inability to relax following muscle contraction,.
  Synonyms
  tightening, tensing, flexing, constricting
2. 1.2usually contractions A shortening of the uterine muscles occurring at intervals before and during childbirth.
  （分娩前和分娩时的子宫肌肉）收缩，挛缩
  Example sentencesExamples
  It was shock more than anything because one minute I was having contractions and the next minute she was here.
  Such drugs increase the force and duration of uterine contractions.
  For example, it is suggested that lower doses cause more contraction of the womb, and higher doses have a more spasmodic effect and decrease the rate of contraction.
  On the journey I was having contractions and clinging to the car.
  During labour, epidural anaesthetic can make the contractions less strong.
  Cloves are even useful as a stimulant to strengthen uterine muscle contractions during childbirth.
  I had been having contractions most of the week and so I wasn't really expecting anything.
  I was having contractions still, but I wasn't dilated all the way, so it was still OK for everyone to be in the room, even Joey.
  All patients were continuously monitored for fetal heart rate and uterine contractions.
  She started having contractions and went to hospital while Boris stayed in the hotel and drank.
  The day after the tub arrived, at 35 weeks, I began having contractions.
  We had talked about what we would do if the twins arrived early but I was shell-shocked when the nurse said I was having contractions.
  But about 12.15 pm she started having contractions at their home in Moorhill Road.
  I started having contractions Saturday morning; my baby was at 36 weeks.
  James Harding was driving his partner, Jody Marchington, to Stockport's Stepping Hill Hospital when she started having contractions with three miles to go.
  Last Friday afternoon, her waters broke and she started having contractions, even though she was two months before her due date.
  But at 10 am she began having contractions and husband Paul took her to Airedale Hospital.
  While Doris sat having contractions in the car, George played lifesaver.
  I was having contractions, but only every 10 minutes so I thought she would be a long way off arriving.
  She started having contractions this morning and I really wanted you to go to the hospital with me!
  Synonyms
  labour pains, labour
3. 1.3 The process of shortening a word by combination or elision.
  缩约
  Example sentencesExamples
  The contraction of a phrase, word, or part of a word, has the analogy of a telescope being closed: biodegradable for biologically degradable; sitcom for situation comedy.
  Yes, since time immemorial, either/or have been as close as two words can get without contraction.
4. 1.4 A word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form.
  缩约词；缩约形式
  “goodbye” is a contraction of “God be with you.”
  goodbye是God be with you的缩约形式。
  Example sentencesExamples
  It's just a dubious contraction of the word ‘fabulous’.
  To show you how far down that slick slope we've slid, lexicographically speaking, consider that quaint contraction ain't.
  You know you're struggling when you go back through the chapter to expand out some contractions to make your word count for the day…
  People called him Titch, a contraction of his surname, but, truth be told, he was also titchy, the shortest boy in the whole school.
  The use of an apostrophe here indicates a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has,’ which would make little sense in the context of this banner.
  Twelve months ago, few of us had ever heard the term - a contraction of Web log - even though blogs had existed in one form or another since at least 1997.
  Bios here is a contraction of the word biosphere.
  It's a classic, and ‘shouldn't've’ is such a wonderful contraction.
  I can't resist stopping for one brief second to point out that the word holiday is merely a contraction of the words holy day.
  The brief was to produce a complete story in 100 words, exactly, not counting the title, and allowing contractions as one word.
  Another common mistake is to confuse it's and its, the former being a contraction of it is and the latter a possessive pronoun.
  How do you mime the archaic exclamation ‘Zounds’, a contraction of ‘God's wounds’?
  Often the file extension name is a contraction of a word which describes the file, for example, ‘.txt’ is short for text.
  Synonyms
  abbreviation, short form, shortened form, elision

Origin

Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin contractio(n-), from contrahere ‘draw together’ (see contract).

单词	contraction
释义	Definition of contraction in English: contraction noun kənˈtrakʃ(ə)nkənˈtrækʃ(ə)n mass noun 1The process of becoming smaller. 收缩；缩小 the general contraction of the industry did further damage to morale 全面的工业缩减进一步打击了民心。 count noun the manufacturing sector suffered a severe contraction 制造部门遭受了严重的萎缩。 Example sentencesExamples This was the first contraction in this industry since 1976. The consumer price index suffered its first contraction in 16 years last year, largely due to lower food and clothing prices. That's an improvement from six months ago, when the board's forecasts ranged from a 1.1 percent contraction to 0.1 percent growth. The longer the economy continues to persist without any economic and market contraction, the more severe the crisis will be once it occurs. Mr Wall said that the firm's success during the continuing contraction of the textiles industry had come from attention to flexibility and customer service as well as ensuring the high quality of low quantity orders. In this departure from the norm one was able to identify the possible source of a severe future economic contraction when the asset bubble burst. He said that the world's main economies have suffered the biggest contraction in industrial output since 1975. It was only in recent years, following the renationalisation of 1967 and the subsequent contraction of the industry, that the organisation proved to be a success. This is explained by the heavy decline in total export revenues during 1986 and severe contraction in the Jordanian export commodities other than phosphate. The state managed further contraction under the Cotton Industry Act, only large integrated multinational firms surviving by 1990. But in historical terms, the economic contraction is not as severe as some would have us believe. Is the severe contraction of certain major components of the governmental institution abidingly new? However, surges in the trade deficit need not cause general economic contraction if they are accompanied by growth of demand from other sources. As the inevitable consolidation process proceeds in response to the many pressures that the industry faces, job contraction may be inevitable. The American industry has so far avoided the kind of painful contraction that the European steelworkers suffered in the last two decades. Moreover, the City in particular is suffering the worst contraction for a generation. They have not yet succeeded in skipping over the inevitable contraction of the business cycle, but they have succeeded in worsening its severity and length and delaying sound recovery. The severe economic contraction that began in the summer of 1937 seems to have brought the New Deal's legislative activism to a halt. The ongoing contraction of manufacturing industry and low inflation are seen as further arguments for a fresh cut. If both these processes of diversification and contraction take place simultaneously, then there may be, at the level of the organization as a whole, a structural shift of momentous dimensions. Synonyms shrinking, reduction in size, shrinkage decline, decrease, diminution, dwindling North American downtick 1.1 The process in which a muscle becomes or is made shorter and tighter. （肌肉）收缩 neurons control the contraction of muscles 神经细胞控制肌肉收缩。 Example sentencesExamples Load-induced injury occurs in two phases: an acute injury immediately after muscle contraction and a delayed or secondary injury. Thus, our measurements appear to be particularly well suited for characterization of dynamic actin rheology during airway smooth muscle contraction. A second, less-frequent muscle contraction, isthmus peristalsis, transports bacteria from the corpus to the terminal bulb. It is also vital for muscle contraction, and normal brain function. Acetylcholine is released by neurons to provoke muscle contraction. To aid in modeling cell-driven contraction, a contractile unit was generally defined as a set of applied loads which sum to zero and produce zero net torque. The force of contraction declines slightly as it advances, reaching a nadir at about the level where the muscle becomes smooth muscle. But you won't get the intensity of muscle contraction that you need to see a difference in abdominal tone. Myotonia refers to the inability to relax following muscle contraction,. At this point, the efficiency of contraction decreases and contractile failure ensues. The mechanical contribution of atrial contraction to normal cardiac function was first described in the 17th century by William Harvey. Adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, results from thickening and contraction of the capsule around the glenohumeral joint and causes loss of motion and pain. At very high speed the muscle is highly tensed because of physiologic effects of certain types of muscle contraction. Speech, gesture, and every other form of human action are, in the long run, resolvable into muscular contraction, and muscular contraction is but a transitory change in the relative positions of the parts of a muscle. Symptoms of atrial fibrillation are generally due to hemodynamic derangements that are the result of loss of atrial contraction and increased ventricular response. Unless they are very small they will take weeks to heal and undergo severe contraction. We conclude that potentiation of gill contraction is not a general characteristic of bivalves and that the uneven distribution is not phylogenetically based. This process allows synchronization of contraction throughout the heart, and is vital for proper function. Exercises include pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation to improve voluntary control. As collagen undergoes maturation and contraction, local forces give rise to further distension of air spaces. Synonyms tightening, tensing, flexing, constricting spasm, convulsion, clench Medicine myoclonus, hippus 1.2usually contractionscount noun A shortening of the uterine muscles occurring at intervals before and during childbirth. （分娩前和分娩时的子宫肌肉）收缩，挛缩 she was now in no doubt that she was having contractions Example sentencesExamples On the journey I was having contractions and clinging to the car. She started having contractions and went to hospital while Boris stayed in the hotel and drank. The day after the tub arrived, at 35 weeks, I began having contractions. It was shock more than anything because one minute I was having contractions and the next minute she was here. Last Friday afternoon, her waters broke and she started having contractions, even though she was two months before her due date. I started having contractions Saturday morning; my baby was at 36 weeks. Cloves are even useful as a stimulant to strengthen uterine muscle contractions during childbirth. I was having contractions, but only every 10 minutes so I thought she would be a long way off arriving. All patients were continuously monitored for fetal heart rate and uterine contractions. For example, it is suggested that lower doses cause more contraction of the womb, and higher doses have a more spasmodic effect and decrease the rate of contraction. I had been having contractions most of the week and so I wasn't really expecting anything. While Doris sat having contractions in the car, George played lifesaver. James Harding was driving his partner, Jody Marchington, to Stockport's Stepping Hill Hospital when she started having contractions with three miles to go. She started having contractions this morning and I really wanted you to go to the hospital with me! During labour, epidural anaesthetic can make the contractions less strong. Such drugs increase the force and duration of uterine contractions. But about 12.15 pm she started having contractions at their home in Moorhill Road. I was having contractions still, but I wasn't dilated all the way, so it was still OK for everyone to be in the room, even Joey. But at 10 am she began having contractions and husband Paul took her to Airedale Hospital. We had talked about what we would do if the twins arrived early but I was shell-shocked when the nurse said I was having contractions. Synonyms labour pains, labour Braxton Hicks contractions cramps archaic travail 1.3 The process of shortening a word by combination or elision. 缩约 Example sentencesExamples Yes, since time immemorial, either/or have been as close as two words can get without contraction. The contraction of a phrase, word, or part of a word, has the analogy of a telescope being closed: biodegradable for biologically degradable; sitcom for situation comedy. 1.4count noun A word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form. 缩约词；缩约形式 ‘goodbye’ is a contraction of ‘God be with you’ goodbye是God be with you的缩约形式。 Example sentencesExamples The brief was to produce a complete story in 100 words, exactly, not counting the title, and allowing contractions as one word. The use of an apostrophe here indicates a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has,’ which would make little sense in the context of this banner. It's a classic, and ‘shouldn't've’ is such a wonderful contraction. It's just a dubious contraction of the word ‘fabulous’. People called him Titch, a contraction of his surname, but, truth be told, he was also titchy, the shortest boy in the whole school. Twelve months ago, few of us had ever heard the term - a contraction of Web log - even though blogs had existed in one form or another since at least 1997. Bios here is a contraction of the word biosphere. To show you how far down that slick slope we've slid, lexicographically speaking, consider that quaint contraction ain't. How do you mime the archaic exclamation ‘Zounds’, a contraction of ‘God's wounds’? Another common mistake is to confuse it's and its, the former being a contraction of it is and the latter a possessive pronoun. I can't resist stopping for one brief second to point out that the word holiday is merely a contraction of the words holy day. Often the file extension name is a contraction of a word which describes the file, for example, ‘.txt’ is short for text. You know you're struggling when you go back through the chapter to expand out some contractions to make your word count for the day… Synonyms abbreviation, short form, shortened form, elision diminutive technical crasis, syneresis Origin Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin contractio(n-), from contrahere 'draw together' (see contract). Rhymes abstraction, action, attraction, benefaction, compaction, counteraction, diffraction, enaction, exaction, extraction, faction, fraction, interaction, liquefaction, malefaction, petrifaction, proaction, protraction, putrefaction, redaction, retroaction, satisfaction, stupefaction, subtraction, traction, transaction, tumefaction, vitrifaction Definition of contraction in US English: contraction nounkənˈtrækʃ(ə)nkənˈtrakSH(ə)n 1The process of becoming smaller. 收缩；缩小 the general contraction of the industry did further damage to morale 全面的工业缩减进一步打击了民心。 Example sentencesExamples Moreover, the City in particular is suffering the worst contraction for a generation. The ongoing contraction of manufacturing industry and low inflation are seen as further arguments for a fresh cut. That's an improvement from six months ago, when the board's forecasts ranged from a 1.1 percent contraction to 0.1 percent growth. In this departure from the norm one was able to identify the possible source of a severe future economic contraction when the asset bubble burst. Mr Wall said that the firm's success during the continuing contraction of the textiles industry had come from attention to flexibility and customer service as well as ensuring the high quality of low quantity orders. As the inevitable consolidation process proceeds in response to the many pressures that the industry faces, job contraction may be inevitable. The severe economic contraction that began in the summer of 1937 seems to have brought the New Deal's legislative activism to a halt. Is the severe contraction of certain major components of the governmental institution abidingly new? The American industry has so far avoided the kind of painful contraction that the European steelworkers suffered in the last two decades. This is explained by the heavy decline in total export revenues during 1986 and severe contraction in the Jordanian export commodities other than phosphate. The consumer price index suffered its first contraction in 16 years last year, largely due to lower food and clothing prices. They have not yet succeeded in skipping over the inevitable contraction of the business cycle, but they have succeeded in worsening its severity and length and delaying sound recovery. If both these processes of diversification and contraction take place simultaneously, then there may be, at the level of the organization as a whole, a structural shift of momentous dimensions. This was the first contraction in this industry since 1976. The state managed further contraction under the Cotton Industry Act, only large integrated multinational firms surviving by 1990. The longer the economy continues to persist without any economic and market contraction, the more severe the crisis will be once it occurs. But in historical terms, the economic contraction is not as severe as some would have us believe. He said that the world's main economies have suffered the biggest contraction in industrial output since 1975. However, surges in the trade deficit need not cause general economic contraction if they are accompanied by growth of demand from other sources. It was only in recent years, following the renationalisation of 1967 and the subsequent contraction of the industry, that the organisation proved to be a success. Synonyms shrinking, reduction in size, shrinkage 1.1 The process in which a muscle becomes or is made shorter and tighter. （肌肉）收缩 neurons control the contraction of muscles 神经细胞控制肌肉收缩。 repeat the exercise, holding each contraction for one second 反复练习，使每次收缩维持一秒。 Example sentencesExamples A second, less-frequent muscle contraction, isthmus peristalsis, transports bacteria from the corpus to the terminal bulb. Adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder, results from thickening and contraction of the capsule around the glenohumeral joint and causes loss of motion and pain. Speech, gesture, and every other form of human action are, in the long run, resolvable into muscular contraction, and muscular contraction is but a transitory change in the relative positions of the parts of a muscle. This process allows synchronization of contraction throughout the heart, and is vital for proper function. Unless they are very small they will take weeks to heal and undergo severe contraction. To aid in modeling cell-driven contraction, a contractile unit was generally defined as a set of applied loads which sum to zero and produce zero net torque. The force of contraction declines slightly as it advances, reaching a nadir at about the level where the muscle becomes smooth muscle. As collagen undergoes maturation and contraction, local forces give rise to further distension of air spaces. Load-induced injury occurs in two phases: an acute injury immediately after muscle contraction and a delayed or secondary injury. Thus, our measurements appear to be particularly well suited for characterization of dynamic actin rheology during airway smooth muscle contraction. Acetylcholine is released by neurons to provoke muscle contraction. Exercises include pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation to improve voluntary control. At this point, the efficiency of contraction decreases and contractile failure ensues. We conclude that potentiation of gill contraction is not a general characteristic of bivalves and that the uneven distribution is not phylogenetically based. At very high speed the muscle is highly tensed because of physiologic effects of certain types of muscle contraction. It is also vital for muscle contraction, and normal brain function. But you won't get the intensity of muscle contraction that you need to see a difference in abdominal tone. Symptoms of atrial fibrillation are generally due to hemodynamic derangements that are the result of loss of atrial contraction and increased ventricular response. The mechanical contribution of atrial contraction to normal cardiac function was first described in the 17th century by William Harvey. Myotonia refers to the inability to relax following muscle contraction,. Synonyms tightening, tensing, flexing, constricting 1.2usually contractions A shortening of the uterine muscles occurring at intervals before and during childbirth. （分娩前和分娩时的子宫肌肉）收缩，挛缩 Example sentencesExamples It was shock more than anything because one minute I was having contractions and the next minute she was here. Such drugs increase the force and duration of uterine contractions. For example, it is suggested that lower doses cause more contraction of the womb, and higher doses have a more spasmodic effect and decrease the rate of contraction. On the journey I was having contractions and clinging to the car. During labour, epidural anaesthetic can make the contractions less strong. Cloves are even useful as a stimulant to strengthen uterine muscle contractions during childbirth. I had been having contractions most of the week and so I wasn't really expecting anything. I was having contractions still, but I wasn't dilated all the way, so it was still OK for everyone to be in the room, even Joey. All patients were continuously monitored for fetal heart rate and uterine contractions. She started having contractions and went to hospital while Boris stayed in the hotel and drank. The day after the tub arrived, at 35 weeks, I began having contractions. We had talked about what we would do if the twins arrived early but I was shell-shocked when the nurse said I was having contractions. But about 12.15 pm she started having contractions at their home in Moorhill Road. I started having contractions Saturday morning; my baby was at 36 weeks. James Harding was driving his partner, Jody Marchington, to Stockport's Stepping Hill Hospital when she started having contractions with three miles to go. Last Friday afternoon, her waters broke and she started having contractions, even though she was two months before her due date. But at 10 am she began having contractions and husband Paul took her to Airedale Hospital. While Doris sat having contractions in the car, George played lifesaver. I was having contractions, but only every 10 minutes so I thought she would be a long way off arriving. She started having contractions this morning and I really wanted you to go to the hospital with me! Synonyms labour pains, labour 1.3 The process of shortening a word by combination or elision. 缩约 Example sentencesExamples The contraction of a phrase, word, or part of a word, has the analogy of a telescope being closed: biodegradable for biologically degradable; sitcom for situation comedy. Yes, since time immemorial, either/or have been as close as two words can get without contraction. 1.4 A word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form. 缩约词；缩约形式 “goodbye” is a contraction of “God be with you.” goodbye是God be with you的缩约形式。 Example sentencesExamples It's just a dubious contraction of the word ‘fabulous’. To show you how far down that slick slope we've slid, lexicographically speaking, consider that quaint contraction ain't. You know you're struggling when you go back through the chapter to expand out some contractions to make your word count for the day… People called him Titch, a contraction of his surname, but, truth be told, he was also titchy, the shortest boy in the whole school. The use of an apostrophe here indicates a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has,’ which would make little sense in the context of this banner. Twelve months ago, few of us had ever heard the term - a contraction of Web log - even though blogs had existed in one form or another since at least 1997. Bios here is a contraction of the word biosphere. It's a classic, and ‘shouldn't've’ is such a wonderful contraction. I can't resist stopping for one brief second to point out that the word holiday is merely a contraction of the words holy day. The brief was to produce a complete story in 100 words, exactly, not counting the title, and allowing contractions as one word. Another common mistake is to confuse it's and its, the former being a contraction of it is and the latter a possessive pronoun. How do you mime the archaic exclamation ‘Zounds’, a contraction of ‘God's wounds’? Often the file extension name is a contraction of a word which describes the file, for example, ‘.txt’ is short for text. Synonyms abbreviation, short form, shortened form, elision Origin Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin contractio(n-), from contrahere ‘draw together’ (see contract).
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