Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CON'TRA-BAND, a. [It. contrabbando, contrary to proclamation, prohibited; Sp. contrabando; Fr. contrebande. See Ban.]

Prohibited. Contraband goods are such as are prohibited to be imported or exported, either by the laws of a particular kingdom or state, or by the law of nations, or by special treaties. In time of war, arms and munitions of war are not permitted by one belligerent, to be transported to the other, but are held to be contraband and liable to capture and condemnation.

CON'TRA-BAND, n.

1. Prohibition of trading in goods, contrary to the laws of a state or of nations.
2. Illegal traffick.

CON'TRA-BAND-IST, n.

One who trafficks illegally.

CONTRA-BONOS-MORES, adv. [Contra bonos mores. L.]

Against good morals.

CON'TRACT, n.

1. An agreement or covenant between two or more persons, in which each party binds himself to do or forbear some act, and each requires a right to what the other promises; a mutual promise upon lawful consideration or cause, which binds the parties to a performance; a bargain; a compact. Contracts are executory or executed. – Sup. Court, Cranch's Rep.
2. The act by which a man and woman are betrothed, each to the other. – Shak.
3. The writing which contains the agreement of parties with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation.

CON-TRACT', v. [for Contracted, pp.]

Affianced; betrothed. – Shak.

CON-TRACT', v.i.

1. To shrink; to become shorter or narrower. Many bodies contract by the application of cold. A hempen cord contracts by, moisture.
2. To bargain; to make a mutual agreement, as between two or more persons. We have contracted for a load of flour; or we have contracted with a farmer for a quantity of provisions.

CON-TRACT', v.t. [L. contraho, contractum; con and traho, to draw; It. contrarre; Sp. contraer; Port. contrahir; Fr. contracter. See Draw.]

1. To draw together or nearer; to draw into a less compass, either in length or breadth; to shorten; to abridge; to narrow; to lessen; as, to contract an inclosure; to contract the faculties; to contract the period of life; to contract the sphere of action.
2. Too draw the parts together; to wrinkle; as, to contract the brow.
3. To betroth; to affiance. A. contracted his daughter to B. The lady was contracted to a man of merit.
4. To draw to; to bring on; to incur; to gain. We contract vicious habits by indulgence. We contract debt by extravagance.
5. To shorten by omission of a letter or syllable; as, to contract a word.
6. To epitomize; to abridge; as, to contract an essay.

CON-TRACT'ED, pp.

1. Drawn together, or into a shorter or narrower compass; shrunk; betrothed; incurred; bargained.
2. adj. Narrow; mean; selfish; as, a man of a contracted soul or mind.

CON-TRACT'ED-LY, adv.

In a contracted manner. – Bp. Newton.

CON-TRACT'EDNESS, n.

1. The state of being contracted.
2. Narrowness; meanness; excessive selfishness.

CON-TRACT-I-BIL'ITY, n.

Possibility of being contracted; quality of suffering contraction; as, the contractibility and dilatability of air. – Arbuthnot.

CON-TRACT'I-BLE, a.

Capable of contraction. Small air bladders dilatable and contractible. – Arbuthnot.

CON-TRACT'I-BLE-NESS, n.

The quality of suffering contraction; contractibility. – Dict.

CON-TRACT'ILE, a.

Tending to contract; having the power of shortening or of drawing into smaller dimensions; as, the contractile force of certain elastic bodies. – Darwin.

CON-TRACT-IL'I-TY, n.

The inherent quality or force by which bodies shrink or contract. – Beddoes.

CON-TRACT'ING, ppr.

1. Shortening or narrowing; drawing together; lessening dimensions; shrinking; making a bargain; betrothing.
2. adj. Making or having made a contract or treaty; stipulating; as, the contracting parties to a league.

CON-TRAC'TION, n. [L. contractio.]

1. The act of drawing together, or shrinking; the act of shortening, narrowing or lessening extent or dimensions, by causing the parts of a body to approach nearer to each other; the state of being contracted. Oil of vitriol will throw the stomach into involuntary contractions. – Arbuthnot. The contraction of the heart is called systole. Some things induce a contraction of the nerves. – Bacon.
2. The act of shortening, abridging, or reducing within a narrower compass by any means. A poem may be improved by omissions or contractions.
3. In grammar, the shortening of a word, by the omission of a letter or syllable; as, can't for can not; burst for bursted or bursten; Sw. and Dan. ord, a word.
4. A contract; marriage contract. [Not used.] – Shak.
5. Abbreviation.

CON-TRACT'OR, n.

1. One who contracts; one of the parties to bargain; one who covenants to do any thing for another. Taylor.
2. One who contracts or covenants with a government to furnish provisions or other supplies, or to perform any work or service for the public, at a certain price or rate.

CON'TRA-DANCE, n. [Fr. contredanse; It. contraddanza; Sp. contradanza.]

A dance in which the partners are arranged in opposition, or in opposite lines.

CON-TRA-DICT', v.t. [L. contradico; contra and dico, to speak.]

1. To oppose by words; to assert the contrary to what has been asserted, or to deny what has heen affirmed. It is not lawful to contradict a point of history known to all the world. – Dryden. The Jews … spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. – Acts xiii.
2. To oppose; to be directly contrary to. No truth can contradict another truth. Hooker.

CON-TRA-DICT'ED, pp.

Opposed in words; opposed; denied.

CON-TRA-DICT'ER, n.

One who contradicts or denies; an opposer. – Swift.

CON-TRA-DICT'ING, ppr.

Affirming the contrary to what has been asserted; denying; opposing.

CON-TRA-DIC'TION, n. [L. contradictio.]

1. An assertion of the contrary to what has been said or affirmed; denial; contrary declaration.
2. Opposition, whether by words, reproaches, or attempts to defeat. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. – Heb. xii.
3. Direct opposition or repugnancy; inconsistency with itself; incongruity or contrariety of things, words, thoughts, or propositions. These theorems involve a contradiction. If we perceive truth, we thereby perceive whatever is false in contradiction to it. – Grew.