contracted
/kənˈtræktɪd/
verb
- Past tense and past participle of contract: became smaller or shorter, or entered into a formal agreement.
- The metal contracted as it cooled down in the winter air.
- She contracted with a local publisher to write three children's books.
- He contracted a serious illness while traveling in a remote area.
adjective
- Made smaller or shorter, especially by being drawn together or squeezed.
- The cold weather caused the contracted metal pipe to crack.
- Her contracted pupils indicated she had been in bright light.
- The contracted muscle relaxed after the athlete stretched it thoroughly.
- Having entered into a formal agreement or contract.
- As a contracted employee, she received benefits that temporary staff did not.
- The contracted workers were entitled to overtime pay according to their agreement.
- The company hired several contracted engineers for the six-month project.
- Reduced in form, such as a word with letters omitted (e.g., "don't" from "do not").
- In informal writing, "I'm" is a contracted form of "I am."
- The contracted word "can't" is used much more often than its full form "cannot."
- Teachers often explain that "it's" is a contracted version of "it is."
Synonyms