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Beginner's Dictionary
       

con·trac·tion

contraction

 
pronunciation:
kn traek shn
part of speech: noun
inflections: contractions
definition 1: the strong, painful action of muscles in which they become tight, especially before and during the birth of a baby.
Sheila had contractions for ten hours before her baby was born.
antonyms:
extension
similar words:
narrowing, reduction, shrinking
definition 2: a short form of two words, where the missing letters are replaced by an apostrophe. "I'm" is the contraction of "I am."