CONTRABANDIST
Con"tra*band`ist, n.
Defn: One who traffic illegaly; a smuggler.
CONTRABASS
Con`tra*bass"
Defn: , n. (Mus.) Double bass; — applied to any instrument of the same deep range as the stringed double bass; as, the contrabass ophicleide; the cotrabass tuba or bombardon.
CONTRABASSO
Con`tra*bas"so, n. Etym: [It. contrabasso.] (Mus.)
Defn: The largest kind of bass viol. See Violone.
CONTRACT
Con*tract", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contracted; p.pr. & vb.n.
Contracting.] Etym: [L. contractus, p.p. of contrahere to contract;
con- + trahere to draw: cf. F. contracter. See Trace, and cf.
Contract, n.]
1. To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lesen; as, to contract one's shpere of action. In all things desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. Dr. H. More.
2. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit. Thou didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak.
3. To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. Each from each contract new strength and light. Pope. Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high statiSwift.