con ‧ trac ‧ tion /kənˈtrækʃ ə n/ BrE AmE 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’.