contraction /kan'traskjn; kan'traekfan/ n 1 [U] contracting or being contracted: 收縮; 縮?。?the ~ of a muscle; 肌肉的收縮; the ~ of the mercury in a thermometer. 水銀在寒暑表中的收縮。 2 [C] sth contracted; shortened form, as can't for cannot. 收縮之物; 縮寫式 (如 can't 為 cannot 的縮寫式) 。