Contra, kon′tra, adv. and prep. against, opposite: in front of: to the contrary: a doublet of Counter- (mus.), signifying an octave lower than the typical form, as in contrabass, &c. See Appendix.
Contraband, kon′tra-band, adj. contrary to law: prohibited.—n. illegal traffic: prohibition: prohibited goods.—ns. Con′trabandism, trafficking in contraband goods; Con′trabandist, a smuggler.—Contraband of war, a name applied to certain commodities, as military stores, and even coal in an age of war steamers, not to be supplied by neutral to belligerent powers. [Sp. contrabanda—It. contrabbando—L. contra, against, L. L. bandum, ban.]
Contrabass, kon′tra-bās, n. the double-bass viol, giving the lower octave to the bass in the orchestra.—adj. applied to other instruments taking a similar part.—Also Contrabas′so and Count′erbase.
Contract, kon-trakt′, v.t. to draw together: to lessen: to shorten: to acquire: to incur: to bargain for: to betroth.—v.i. to shrink: to become less.—n. Con′tract, an agreement on fixed terms: a bond: a betrothment: the writing containing an agreement.—adj. Contract′ed, drawn together: narrow: mean.—adv. Contract′edly.—ns. Contract′edness; Contractibil′ity, Contract′ibleness.—adjs. Contract′ible, capable of being contracted; Contract′ile, tending or having power to contract.—ns. Contractil′ity; Contrac′tion, act of contracting: a word shortened by rejecting a part of it: a symbol for shortening in palæography, &c.—adj. Contract′ive, tending to contract.—n. Contract′or, one of the parties to a bargain or agreement: one who engages to execute work or furnish supplies at a fixed rate.—adj. Contract′ual.—Contract one's self out of, to get rid of some general obligation by making a special contract; Contract work, work done for a fixed sum estimated beforehand and paid down for the whole job. [L. contractus—con, together, trahĕre, to draw.]
Contra-dance. See Country-dance.
Contradict, kon-tra-dikt′, v.t. to oppose by words: to assert the contrary: to deny: to be contrary to in character.—adj. Contradict′able.—n. Contradic′tion, act of contradicting: a speaking against: denial: inconsistency.—adj. Contradic′tious.—advs. Contradic′tiously (rare), Contradic′torily.—adjs. Contradict′ive, Contradict′ory, affirming the contrary: inconsistent.—n. Contradict′oriness, the quality of being contradictory, [L. contradicĕre, -dictum.]
Contradistinction, kon-tra-dis-tingk′shun, n. distinction by contrast.—adj. Contradistinct′ive, distinguishing by opposite qualities.—v.t. Contradistin′guish, to mark the difference between two things by contrasting their different qualities.
Contrafissure, kon′tra-fish-ūr, n. (surg.) a fracture or contusion of the skull at a place opposite that on which the blow was received.
Contrahent, kon′tra-hent, adj. entering into a contract.—n. a contracting party. [L. contrahent-em—contrahĕre.]
Contra-indicate, kon′tra-in′di-kāt, v.t. of a disease, to show symptoms adverse to a particular treatment.—ns. Con′tra-in′dicant, Con′tra-indicā′tion.