1. an agreement between two or more parties for the doing or not doing of something specified.
2. an agreement enforceable by law.
3. the written form of an agreement enforceable by law.
4. the division of law dealing with contracts.
5. a variety of bridge in which the side that wins the bid can earn toward game only that number of tricks named in the contract, additional points being credited above the line.
6. (in auction or contract bridge)
• a commitment by the declarer and their partner to take six tricks plus the number specified by the final bid made.
• the final bid that specifies the number of tricks to which players must commit.
• the number of tricks to which players are committed, plus six.
7. the formal agreement of marriage; betrothal.
8. an arrangement for a hired assassin to kill a specific person.

9. under an agreement enforceable by law; governed or arranged by special legal agreement: As a contract carrier with us, you'll have access to more loads than with any other provider in North America.

10. to draw together; make shorter, thinner, narrower, etc.: In order to contract a muscle, the opposite muscle group has to be relaxed.
11. to shorten (a word, phrase, etc.) by combining or omitting some of its elements: Contracting “do not” yields “don't.”
12. to get or acquire, as by exposure to something contagious: I contracted malaria but didn't recognize the symptoms at first.
13. to incur, as a liability or obligation: He was very extravagant at college, and contracted many debts.
14. to settle or establish by agreement: Bismarck contracted an alliance with Austria to counteract Russian designs in Eastern Europe.
15. to assign (a job, work, project, etc.) by contract: The publisher contracted the artwork.
16. to enter into an agreement with:We contracted a freelancer to do the editing.
17. to enter into (friendship, acquaintance, etc.).
18. to betroth.
19. to wrinkle: to contract the brows.

20. to become reduced in length, width, thickness, etc., by drawing together; become smaller: The pupils of his eyes contracted in the light.
21. to enter into an agreement: We contracted to have the books printed and bound by Willow Press.

22. to hire an outside contractor to produce or do.

23. to hire or attempt to hire an assassin to kill (someone): The mob put out a contract on the informer.

1. to make or become smaller, narrower, shorter, etc
2. to enter into an agreement with (a person, company, etc) to deliver (goods or services) or to do (something) on mutually agreed and binding terms, often in writing
3. to draw or be drawn together; coalesce or cause to coalesce
4. to acquire, incur, or become affected by (a disease, liability, debt, etc)
5. to shorten (a word or phrase) by the omission of letters or syllables, usually indicated in writing by an apostrophe
6. to unite (two vowels) or (of two vowels) to be united within a word or at a word boundary so that a new long vowel or diphthong is formed
7. to wrinkle or draw together (the brow or a muscle)
8. to arrange (a marriage) for; betroth

9. a formal agreement between two or more parties
10. a document that states the terms of such an agreement
11. the branch of law treating of contracts
12. marriage considered as a formal agreement
13. See contract bridge
14. bridge
• (in the bidding sequence before play) the highest bid, which determines trumps and the number of tricks one side must try to make
• the number and suit of these tricks
15. slang
• a criminal agreement to kill a particular person in return for an agreed sum of money
• (as modifier)

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