| 释义 |
contracted, ppl. a.|kənˈtræktɪd|
[f. contract v. + -ed1.]
1. a. Agreed upon, established by contract. ? Obs.
1589Greene Arcadia (Arb.) 30 Our olde contracted amitie. 1593Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. i. 40 Heere are the Articles of contracted peace.
b. contracted-out: that has contracted out (see contract v. 2 d); so contracted-in.
1908Westm. Gaz. 7 Dec. 2/2 The local education authorities would have insisted on getting the same State grant for each Council child as was paid to denominational associations for each contracted-out child. 1959Economist 17 Jan. 238/1 A contracted-out employee will have to pay the present contribution. Ibid., The contracted-in employee will pay only 8s. 4d. for the basic pension.
†2. Betrothed, affianced. Obs.
1548Hall Chron. 197 Her new contracted husband. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iv. ii. 17, I..enquire me out contracted Batchelers, such as had beene ask'd twice on the Banes. 1611Cotgr., Ousclage, that which a contracted man giues to his affianced or future wife. 1624Heywood Gunaik. iii. 145 A gentleman of a noble familie riding..with his contracted Lady in a chariot.
3. Incurred, acquired; see contract v. 5.
1640–4in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1692) iii. I. 18 Their long Contracted Honour in their Blood. 1665Glanvill Sceps. Sci. i. 4 A self-contracted wretchedness.
†4. Drawn together, collected; combined, united.
1609Tourneur Fun. Poeme 9 Which with contracted cloudes did interpose. 1611― Ath. Trag. i. ii, That we should breathe but one contracted life.
5. a. Drawn into smaller compass; narrowed, shortened, shrunken, etc.; see contract v. 8, 9.
1603Dekker Grissil (Shaks. Soc.) 3 We..do not throw On these, your pastimes, a contracted brow. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 729 When the contracted Limbs were cramp'd. 1786W. Gilpin Observ. Pict. Beauty I. 112 Narrow contracted vallies. 1812Examiner 7 Dec. 782/2 The eldest has a contracted arm. 1883G. Lloyd Ebb & Flow II. 274 He sat in a somewhat contracted position.
b. fig. Condensed, concise.
1595W. C[larke] Polimanteia R ij b, Daniell, whose sweete refined muse, in contracted shape, were sufficient amongst men, etc. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 274 There was a..contracted Adam in the rib, which by the information of a soule, was individuated into Eve. 1654Whitlock Zootomia 150 How do Solomons Proverbs (for contracted sense) mist Seneca? 1704Hearne Duct. Hist. (1714) I. 134 There is a strange Felicity in his Style..he is Contracted and Fluent, Subtle and Clear. 1818Jas. Mill Brit. India III. i. 26 A very contracted summary of the voluminous records.
c. fig. Limited in extent, narrow, restricted; † having narrow sympathies, views, etc. (obs.).
1710Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) III. 304 The contracted Genius..the Narrowness of such a Mind. 1765T. Hutchinson Hist. Col. Mass. I. i. 151 He was of a more catholic spirit..but..grew more contracted. 1796Jane Austen Pride & Prej. ix. (1813) 209 They were obliged to give up the Lakes and substitute a more contracted tour. 1830D'Israeli Chas. I, III. ii. 19 The horizon of a Court is but a contracted sphere. 1862Ld. Brougham Brit. Const. iv. 57 The attendant evils of petty, contracted ideas.
d. Gram. and Phonetics. Shortened by combination or omission of sounds or letters.
1824L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 174 This change is nothing more than a contracted preposition prefixed. 1871Roby Lat. Gram. ii. xxii. §662 Apparently irritāt, disturbāt, are used as contracted perfects in Lucretius. |