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contraction

Definitions of contraction
  1. noun
    a regularly recurrent spasm of pain that is characteristic of childbirth
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    type of:
    douleur
    a sharp spasm of pain
  2. noun
    a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds
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    type of:
    mot
    a unit of language that native speakers can identify
  3. noun
    (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)
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    type of:
    raccourcissement
    act of decreasing in length
  4. noun
    the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together
    synonyms: compression
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    type of:
    réduction, rétrécissement
    process or result of becoming less or smaller
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