| noun | a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law |
| noun | (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make |
| noun | a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid |
| verb | enter into a contractual arrangement |
| verb | engage by written agreement “They signed two new pitchers for the next season” |
| verb | squeeze or press together “she compressed her lips” |
| verb | be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness “He got AIDS” |
| verb | become smaller or draw together “The fabric shrank” |
| verb | make smaller “The heat contracted the woollen garment” |
| verb | compress or concentrate “Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan” |
| verb | make or become more narrow or restricted “The selection was narrowed” |
| verb | reduce in scope while retaining essential elements “The manuscript must be shortened” |
| contractual | adjective | relating to or part of a binding legal agreement |
| contract | verb | engage by written agreement |
| declare | verb | designate (a trump suit or no-trump) with the final bid of a hand |
| contract | noun | a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law |
| contractor | noun | someone (a person or firm) who contracts to build things |
| signer | noun | someone who signs and is bound by a document |
| compressible | adjective | capable of being easily compressed |
| compression | noun | the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together |
| compressor | noun | a mechanical device that compresses gasses |
| compressing | noun | applying pressure |
| constriction | noun | the action or process of compressing |
| constrictor | noun | any of various large nonvenomous snakes that kill their prey by crushing it in its coils |
| contraction | noun | (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber) |
| contracture | noun | an abnormal and usually permanent contraction of a muscle |
| press | noun | the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure |
| pressing | noun | the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure |
| contracting | noun | becoming infected |
| shrinkage | noun | process or result of becoming less or smaller |
| condensation | noun | the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together |
| concentration | noun | strengthening the concentration (as of a solute in a mixture) by removing diluting material |
| narrow | noun | a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water |
| narrowing | noun | the act of making something narrower |
| abridgement | noun | a shortened version of a written work |
| abridger | noun | one who shortens or abridges or condenses a written work |
| abbreviator | noun | one who shortens or abridges or condenses a written work |
| shortener | noun | any agent that shortens |