Band books

4. Something contracted or abbreviated,
as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for
plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal
conversation, etc.

5. (Gram.) The shortening of a
word, or of two words, by the omission of a letter or letters, or
by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as,
ne'er for never; can't for can not;
don't for do not; it's for it
is.

6. A marriage contract. [Obs.]
Shak.

Con*tract"ive (?), a. Tending
to contract; having the property or power or power of
contracting.

Con*tract"or (?), n. [L.] One
who contracts; one of the parties to a bargain; one who covenants
to do anything for another; specifically, one who contracts to
perform work on a rather large scale, at a certain price or rate,
as in building houses or making a railroad.

Con*trac"ture (?; 135), n. [L.
contractura a drawing together.] (Med.) A
state of permanent rigidity or contraction of the muscles,
generally of the flexor muscles.

Con"tra*dance` (?), n. [Pref.


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