Webster's Dictionary 1913

7426

Contractile

Con‐tract″ile (?), a. [Cf. F. contractile.] tending to contract; having the power or property of contracting, or of shrinking into shorter or smaller dimensions; as, the contrac...

7427

Contractility

Con′trac‐til″i‐ty (?), n. 1. The quality or property by which bodies shrink or contract.2. (Physiol.) The power possessed by the fibers of living muscle of contracting or shorte...

7428

Contraction

Con‐trac″tion (?), n. [L. contractio: cf. F. contraction.] 1. The act or process of contracting, shortening, or shrinking; the state of being contracted; as, contraction of the ...

7429

Contractive

Con‐tract″ive (?), a. Tending to contract; having the property or power or power of contracting.

7430

Contractor

Con‐tract″or (?), n. One who contracts; one of the parties to a bargain; one who covenants to do anything for another; specifically, one who contracts to perform work on a rathe...

7431

Contracture

Con‐trac″ture (?; 135), n. [L. contractura a drawing together.] (Med.) A state of permanent rigidity or contraction of the muscles, generally of the flexor muscles.

7432

Contradance

Con″tra‐dance′ (?), n. [Pref. contra- + dance: cf. F. contrdance. Cf. Country-dance.] A dance in which the partners are arranged face to face, or in opposite lines.

7433

Contradict

Con′tra‐dict″ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Contradicted; p. pr. & vb. n.Contradicting.] [L. contradictus, p. p. of contradicere to speak against; contra + dicere to speak. See Dictio...

7434

Contradict (2)

Con′tra‐dict, v. i. To oppose in words; to gainsay; to deny, or assert the contrary of, something.They... spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and...

7435

Contradictable

Con′tra‐dict″a‐ble (?), a. Capable of being contradicted.

7436

Contradicter

Con′tra‐dict″er (?), n. one who contradicts. Swift.

7437

Contradiction

Con′tra‐dic″tion (?), n. [L. contradictio answer, objection: cf. F. contradiction.] 1. An assertion of the contrary to what has been said or affirmed; denial of the truth of a s...

7438

Contradictional

Con′tra‐dic″tion‐al (?), a. Contradictory; inconsistent; opposing. Milton.

7439

Contradictious

Con′tra‐dic″tious (?), a. 1. Filled with contradictions; inconsistent.2. Inclined to contradict or cavil Sharp.— Con′tra‐dic″tious‐ness, n.Norris.

7440

Contradictive

Con′tra‐dict″ive (?), a. Contradictory; inconsistent. — Con′tra‐dict″ive‐ly, adv.

7441

Contradictor

Con′tra‐dict″or (?), n. A contradicter.

7442

Contradictorily

Con′tra‐dict″o‐ri‐ly (?), adv. In a contradictory manner. Sharp.

7443

Contradictoriness

Con″tra‐dict′o‐ri‐ness, n. The quality of being contradictory; opposition; inconsistency. J. Whitaker.

7444

Contradictory

Con′tra‐dict″o‐ry (?), a. [LL. contradictorius: cf. F. contradictoire.] 1. Affirming the contrary; implying a denial of what has been asserted; also, mutually contradicting; inc...

7445

Contradictory (2)

Con′tra‐dict″o‐ry, n.; pl.Contradictories (�). 1. A proposition or thing which denies or opposes another; contrariety.It is common with princes to will contradictories.Bacon.2. ...

7446

Contradistinct

Con′tra‐dis‐tinct″ (?), a. Distinguished by opposite qualities. J. Goodwin.

7447

Contradistinction

Con′tra‐dis‐tinc″tion (?), n. Distinction by contrast.That there are such things as sins of infirmity in contradistinction to those of presumption is not to be questioned.South.

7448

Contradistinctive

Con′tra‐dis‐tinc″tive (?), a. having the quality of contradistinction; distinguishing by contrast. — Con′tra‐dis‐tinc″tive, n.

7449

Contradistinguish

Con′tra‐dis‐tin″guish (?; 144), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Contradistinguished (#); p. pr. & vb. n.Contradistinguishing.] To distinguish by a contrast of opposite qualities.These are ou...

7450

Contrafagetto

Con′tra‐fa‐get″to (?), n.(Mus.) The double bassoon, an octave deeper than the bassoon.

7451

Contrafissure

Con′tra‐fis″sure (?; 135), n.(Med.) A fissure or fracture on the side opposite to that which received the blow, or at some distance from it. Coxe.

7452

Contrahent

Con″tra‐hent (?), a. [L. contrahens, p. pr. See Contract.] Entering into covenant; contracting; as, contrahent parties. Mede.