contraction
[noun]
Synonyms: shortening, abbreviation, compression, narrowing, reduction, shrinkage, shrivelling, tightening

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

con‧trac‧tion /kənˈtrækʃən/ noun

1. [countable] medical a very strong and painful movement of a muscle, especially the muscles around the womb during birth

2. [uncountable] the process of becoming smaller or narrower:
the contraction of metal as it cools

3. [countable] a shorter form of a word or words:
‘Haven’t’ is a contraction of ‘have not’.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲