to draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lessen; as, to contract one's sphere of action.-to draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit.-to bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease.-to enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for.-to betroth; to affiance.-to shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.-to be drawn together so as to be diminished in size or extent; to shrink; to be reduced in compass or in duration; as, iron contracts in cooling; a rope contracts when wet.-to make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail.-contracted; as, a contract verb.-contracted; affianced; betrothed.-the agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights.-a formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation.-the act of formally betrothing a man and woman.