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# contraction

noun (a contraction, contractions)

«contraction» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. In grammar, a contraction is a short form made by joining two words with an apostrophe, like «don't» (do not) or «I'm» (I am). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#m1)
2. In science, contraction means getting smaller or shorter, like a metal shrinking when it cools or a muscle tightening. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#m2)
3. Contractions are the tightenings of the womb when a baby is about to be born. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#m3)

### In the lessons

In English lessons, the apostrophe in a contraction shows where letters are missing: can't = cannot, it's = it is. In science, metals expand when heated and contract when cooled. Muscles move bones by contraction. Contractions are not used in very formal writing.

### Examples

- «Won't» is a contraction of «will not». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#x1)
- The apostrophe shows the missing letters in a contraction. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#x2)
- Cold weather causes contraction of the metal rails. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#x3)
- Muscle contraction makes your arm bend. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#x4)
- Mum's contractions started, so they went to the hospital. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#x5)
- Write the contraction for «they are». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/#x6)

### Note

Verb: contract. Trap: «it's» (it is) vs «its» (belonging to it); «you're» vs «your». Opposite of contraction (getting smaller) is expansion.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «contraction» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contraction/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«contraction» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/contraction.html) on Mova free.