Part 521

5. (Gram.) The shortening of a word, or of two words, by the omission of a letter or letters, or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as, ne'er for never; can't for can not; don't for do not; it's for it is.

6. A marriage contract. [Obs.] Shak.

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

Con*tract"or (?), n. [L.] 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 rather large scale, at a certain price or rate, as in building houses or making a railroad.

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.

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.

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 Diction.] 1. To assert the contrary of; to oppose in words; to take issue with; to gainsay; to deny the truth of, as of a statement or a speaker; to impugn.

Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself, And say it is not so. Shak.

The future can not contradict the past. Wordsworth.

2. To be contrary to; to oppose; to resist. [Obs.]

No truth can contradict another truth. Hooker.

A greater power than we can contradict Hath thwarted our intents. Shak.

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 blaspheming. Acts xiii. 45.

Con`tra*dict"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being contradicted.

Con`tra*dict"er (?), n. one who contradicts. Swift.

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 statement or assertion; contrary declaration; gainsaying.

His fair demands Shall be accomplished without contradiction. Shak.

2. Direct opposition or repugnancy; inconsistency; incongruity or contrariety; one who, or that which, is inconsistent.

can he make deathless death? That were to make Strange contradiction. Milton.

We state our experience and then we come to a manly resolution of acting in contradiction to it. Burke.

Both parts of a contradiction can not possibly be true. Hobbes.

Of contradictions infinite the slave. Wordsworth.

Principle of contradiction (Logic), the axiom or law of thought that a thing cannot be and not be at the same time, or a thing must either be or not be, or the same attribute can not at the same time be affirmed and and denied of the same subject. It develops itself in three specific forms which have been called the "Three Logical Axioms." First, "A is A." Second, "A is not Not-A" Third, "Everything is either A or Not-A."

Con`tra*dic"tion*al (?), a. Contradictory; inconsistent; opposing. [R.] Milton.

Con`tra*dic"tious (?), a. 1. Filled with contradictions; inconsistent. [Obs.]

2. Inclined to contradict or cavil [Obs.] Sharp.

-- Con`tra*dic"tious*ness, n. Norris.