contraction

contraction
    n 1: (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ
         (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber) [syn:
         {contraction}, {muscular contraction}, {muscle
         contraction}]
    2: the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed
       together; "the contraction of a gas on cooling" [syn:
       {compression}, {condensation}, {contraction}]
    3: a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining
       some sounds; "`won't' is a contraction of `will not'";
       "`o'clock' is a contraction of `of the clock'"
    4: the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or
       quantity or scope [ant: {enlargement}, {expansion}]
    

Contraction \Con*trac"tion\, n. [L. contractio: cf. F.
   contraction.]
   1. The act or process of contracting, shortening, or
      shrinking; the state of being contracted; as, contraction
      of the heart, of the pupil of the eye, or of a tendon; the
      contraction produced by cold.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Math.) The process of shortening an operation.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. The act of incurring or becoming subject to, as
      liabilities, obligation, debts, etc.; the process of
      becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a disease.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Something contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase;
      -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for
      criminal conversation, etc.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. A marriage contract. [Obs.] --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]
    

reduction
contraction

   (Or "contraction") The process of transforming an expression
   according to certain reduction rules.  The most important
   forms are {beta reduction} (application of a {lambda
   abstraction} to one or more argument expressions) and {delta
   reduction} (application of a mathematical function to the
   required number of arguments).

   An {evaluation strategy} (or {reduction strategy}), determines
   which part of an expression (which redex) to reduce first.
   There are many such strategies.

   See {graph reduction}, {string reduction}, {normal order
   reduction}, {applicative order reduction}, {parallel
   reduction}, {alpha conversion}, {beta conversion}, {delta
   conversion}, {eta conversion}.

   (1995-02-21)
    

CONTRACTION. An abbreviation; a mode of writing or printing by which some of 
the letters of a word are omitted. See Abbreviations. 
    

57 Moby Thesaurus words for "contraction":
      Speedwriting, abatement, abbreviation, abridgment, alleviation,
      apocope, aposiopesis, attenuation, brachygraphy, clipping,
      coarctation, constriction, crasis, cutting, dampening, damping,
      decrease, decrement, decrescence, deduction, deflation,
      depreciation, depression, diminishment, diminution, dying,
      dying off, elision, ellipsis, extenuation, fade-out, languishment,
      lessening, letup, lowering, miniaturization, mitigation, narrowing,
      phonography, pruning, reduction, relaxation, sagging, scaling down,
      shortening, shorthand, simplicity, stenography, stricture,
      subtraction, syncope, syneresis, tachygraphy, taper, tapering,
      truncation, weakening