| contortionist |
an acrobat who can twist his or her arms, legs, and body into unusual positions. |
| contour |
the outline of a surface, form, or figure; shape. [7 definitions] |
| contour map |
a map that shows elevation and land configuration with contour lines. |
| contra |
a member of a Nicaraguan counterrevolutionary group of the 1980s. |
| contra- |
opposite; against. [2 definitions] |
| contraband |
goods banned by law from being imported or exported. [5 definitions] |
| contraband of war |
war materials, such as weapons and ammunition, that may be confiscated by either side when transported to the other from a neutral government. |
| contrabass |
the largest and deepest-toned instrument of the violin family; double bass; bass viol. [4 definitions] |
| contrabassoon |
a bassoon that is larger than the ordinary bassoon and an octave lower in pitch; double bassoon. |
| contraception |
the prevention of conception; birth control. |
| contraceptive |
of, used for, or designed for the prevention of biological conception. [2 definitions] |
| contract |
an agreement, usu. legally binding, entered into by two or more parties that specifies what each party will do or not do. [8 definitions] |
| contract bridge |
a form of bridge in which only the number of tricks named in the contract may count toward a game, the excess tricks counting as a bonus score. (Cf. auction bridge.) |
| contractile |
able to contract or cause contraction. |
| contraction |
an act of contracting. [3 definitions] |
| contractor |
one who agrees by contract to do specified work at a certain price and to supply all necessary materials. [2 definitions] |
| contractual |
of, relating to, or specified in a contract. |
| contra dance |
a folk dance, similar to the quadrille, in which dancers often form lines and face each other. [2 definitions] |
| contradict |
to assert the opposite of; deny the truth of. [4 definitions] |
| contradictable |
combined form of contradict. |
| contradiction |
the act of contradicting, or the state of being in denial of or in complete disagreement with something else. [4 definitions] |