contractio

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

contractĭo: ōnis, f. contraho,
I a drawing together, contraction (in good prose; most freq. in Cic.).
I Lit.: contractio et porrectio digitorum, Cic. N. D. 2, 60, 150: bracchii (opp. projectio), id. Or. 18, 59: superciliorum (opp. remissio), id. Off. 1, 41, 146: frontis, id. Sest. 8, 19: umerorum (opp. allevatio), Quint. 11, 3, 83: nervorum, a contraction, cramp, Scrib. Comp. 255; without nervorum, Plin. 20, 17, 73, § 191: bonorum, i. e. consolidation, Gai Inst. 2, 155.—Hence,
   B Transf., an abridging, shortening, abridgment, shortness: paginae, Cic. Att. 5, 4, 4: syllabae, shortening in pronunciation (opp. productio), id. de Or. 3, 50, 196: orationis (opp. longitudo), id. Part. Or. 6, 19.— *
II Trop.: animi in dolore, dejection, undue depression, despondency (opp. effusio animi in laetitiā), Cic. Tusc. 4, 31, 66; cf. id. ib. 4, 6, 14: animos demittunt et contrahunt; v. contraho, II. B.