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CONTRACTION
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("contraction" is a kind of...):
decrease; diminution; reduction; step-down (the act of decreasing or reducing something)
Antonym:
expansion (the act of increasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope)
Derivation:
contract (become smaller or draw together)
contract (reduce in scope while retaining essential elements)
contract (make or become more narrow or restricted)
contract (compress or concentrate)
contract (make smaller)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)
Synonyms:
contraction; muscle contraction; muscular contraction
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("contraction" is a kind of...):
shortening (act of decreasing in length)
Domain category:
physiology (the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "contraction"):
contracture (an abnormal and usually permanent contraction of a muscle)
tetanus (a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses)
uterine contraction (a rhythmic tightening in labor of the upper uterine musculature that contracts the size of the uterus and pushes the fetus toward the birth canal)
Braxton-Hicks contraction; false labor (painless contractions of the muscles of the uterus that continue throughout pregnancy with increasing frequency)
vaginismus (muscular contraction that causes the vagina to close; usually an anxiety reaction before coitus or pelvic examination)
Derivation:
contract (squeeze or press together)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds
Example:
'o'clock' is a contraction of 'of the clock'
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("contraction" is a kind of...):
word (a unit of language that native speakers can identify)
Sense 4
Meaning:
The process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together
Example:
the contraction of a gas on cooling
Synonyms:
compression; condensation; contraction
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("contraction" is a kind of...):
shrinkage; shrinking (process or result of becoming less or smaller)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "contraction"):
coarctation; constriction (tight or narrow compression)
Context examples:
These agents block the action of natural sympathomimetic neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and related substances), and can initiate physiological responses such as vasodilation, bradycardia, and pupil contraction.
(Alpha-adrenergic antagonist, NCI Thesaurus)
This allele, which encodes alpha-1A adrenergic receptor protein, is involved in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction, cellular growth and proliferation.
(ADRA1A wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)
Arbutamine binds to and activates beta-1 adrenergic receptors in the myocardium, thereby increasing heart rate and increasing force of myocardial contraction.
(Arbutamine, NCI Thesaurus)
The receptor mediates cell contraction and proliferation, platelet aggregation, release of coagulation factor and glycogenolysis.
(Arginine Vasopressin Receptor 1A, NCI Thesaurus)
A disorder characterized by a dysrhythmia with organized rhythmic atrial contractions with a rate of 200-300 beats per minute.
(Atrial Flutter, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)
This gene plays a role in cardiac muscle contraction.
(ATP2A2 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)
An uterine contraction that is barely felt.
(Mild Uterine Contraction, NCI Thesaurus)
The maximum time between successive cycles of contraction and subsequent relaxation of the heart, usually expressed as beats per minute, obtained from a set of measurements of the heart rate.
(Minimum Heart Rate, NCI Thesaurus)
This signal causes the motor neurons to fire, resulting in contraction of the muscle.
(Muscle Spindle, NCI Thesaurus)
A sudden contraction of a muscle or group of muscles, such as a cramp.
(Muscle Spasm, NCI Dictionary)
