Roget's Thesaurus

#195. Contraction

Nouns

contraction, reduction, diminution; decrease of size etc. 36; defalcation, decrement; lessening, shrinking etc. v.; compaction; tabes, collapse, emaciation, attenuation, tabefaction, consumption, marasmus, atrophy; systole, neck, hourglass. condensation, compression, compactness; compendium etc. 596; squeezing etc. v.; strangulation; corrugation; astringency; astringents, sclerotics; contractility, compressibility; coarctation. inferiority in size.

Verbs

become small, become smaller; lessen, decrease etc. 36; grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb; decay etc. (deteriorate) 659. be smaller than, fall short of; not come up to etc. (be inferior) 34. render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate; boil down; constrict, constringe; condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow; pinch, tighten, strangle; cramp; dwarf, bedwarf; shorten etc. 201; circumscribe etc. 229; restrain etc. 751. [reduce in size by abrasion or paring] (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down.

Adjectives

contracting etc. v.; astringent; shrunk, contracted etc. v.; strangulated, tabid, wizened, stunted; waning etc. v.; neap, compact. unexpanded etc. (expand) etc. 194; contractile; compressible; smaller etc. (small) etc. 193.