contraction
Labor pain signal
A contraction is a shortening—of words, muscles, or time intervals.
In grammar, contractions combine words by omitting letters: can't, won't, I'm.
Muscles contract when they tighten or shorten.
The contractions of childbirth are periodic tightenings of the uterus.
An economic contraction is a period of decline.
All senses share the idea of drawing inward or becoming smaller.
Involuntary muscle contraction
- crampPainful muscle seizure
- twitchInvoluntary muscular jerk
- flexTense a muscle
- tighteningMaking less loose
tension · relaxation · biceps · triceps · quadriceps · hamstring · cardiac · smooth
Prolonged economic decline
- downturnEconomic decline period
- declineDecrease or refuse
- shrinkageDecrease in size
- slowdownReduction in pace
deflation · slump · depression · tightening · austerity · reduction · stagnation · retrenchment
Mark showing ownership
- elisionDropped sounds in speech
- omissionFailure to include
- don'tContraction forbidding action
- can'tLacking the ability
won't · I'm · they're · it's · clitic · syncope · informal · colloquial
Decrease in size
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- compactionReducing volume through pressure
- reductionMaking something smaller
- tighteningMaking less loose
narrowing · constriction · squeezing · densification · condensation · decrease · cooling · thermal
Strenuous effort; also childbirth
- deliveryConveyance of goods
- dilationWidening of an opening
- effacementAct of erasing completely
- cervixUterine opening to vagina
midwife · epidural · doula · pushing · birthing · obstetrics · maternity · parturition
spasm
Involuntary muscle contraction
tightening · tension · relaxation · biceps · triceps · quadriceps · hamstring · cardiac · smooth · skeletal
recession
Prolonged economic decline
slowdown · deflation · slump · depression · tightening · austerity · reduction · stagnation · retrenchment · cutback
apostrophe
Mark showing ownership
can't · won't · I'm · they're · it's · clitic · syncope · informal · colloquial · spoken
shrinkage
Decrease in size
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- compactionReducing volume through pressure
- reductionMaking something smaller
tightening · narrowing · constriction · squeezing · densification · condensation · decrease · cooling · thermal · volume
labor
Strenuous effort; also childbirth
- deliveryConveyance of goods
- dilationWidening of an opening
- effacementAct of erasing completely
cervix · midwife · epidural · doula · pushing · birthing · obstetrics · maternity · parturition · prenatal
- vocabularyword, words, new words, term, terms
- etymologyword origins, word history, word origin, etymon, root words
- Kabbalahhod, Tree of Life, tree of life, divine spark, sparks
- labor painsback labor, afterpains, ring of fire
- matroidsbasis, bases, circuits, circuit, flats
- morphologymorphemes, morpheme, affixes, affix, suffixes
contractionexpansion
Increase in scope
dilation · enlargement · swelling · distension · distention
contractionextension
Added part or duration
elongation · lengthening · stretch · stretching · prolongation
- contractions starting
- defense contractingMilitary supply industry
- warm up contractions
- economic contractionDecline in monetary activity
- muscle contractionFibers tensing and shortening
- contractile vacuoleWater-expelling organelle in protists
contracting, contractions, contractile, contractility, contractible