contract

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a variety of the card game bridge in which the bidder receives points only for the number of tricks that have been bid

   I enjoy a game of contract every now and again.

2. 2
   noun

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

   The contract clearly states that you cannot work for a competitor.

3. 3
   noun

   in bridge, the highest bid, which sets the number of tricks that the bidder must make

   The game was challenging with such a high contract.

4. 4
   verb

   to be stricken by or fall victim to an illness

   Many individuals contracted the plague in London in 1665.

5. 5
   verb

   to become smaller or draw together

   My pupils contracted because of the extreme brightness.

6. 6
   verb

   to reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

   I contracted the document so only the bare bones were there.

7. 7
   verb

   to make smaller

   The heat contracted the woollen garment.

8. 8
   noun

   an order to kill someone, usually for money

   The mob boss put out a contract on the snitch.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Middle French contracter, from Latin contractum, past participle of contrahere (“to bring together, to bring about, to conclude a bargain”), from con- (“with, together”) + trahere (“to draw, to pull”). The verb developed after the noun, and originally meant only "draw together"; the sense "make a contract with" developed later.