contract

1. N-COUNT A contract is a legal agreement, usually between two companies or between an employer and employee, which involves doing work for a stated sum of money. 合同

The company won a hefty contract for work on Chicago's tallest building. 公司赢得了芝加哥最高建筑的重要施工合同。

Have you read the contract?

你看过这份合同了吗？

2. V-T If you contract with someone to do something, you legally agree to do it for them or for them to do it for you. (与某人) 签订合同[正式]

You can contract with us to deliver your cargo. 你们可以和我们签订合同，由我们负责运输你们的货物。

3. V-T/V-I When something contracts or when something contracts it, it becomes smaller or shorter. 缩小; 缩短; 使缩小; 使缩短

Blood is only expelled from the heart when it contracts. 心脏收缩时，血液才从心脏射出。

4. contractionN-VAR 收缩

...the contraction and expansion of blood vessels. …血管的收缩与扩张。

5. V-I When something such as an economy or market contracts, it becomes smaller. (经济、市场等) 萎缩

The manufacturing economy contracted in October for the sixth consecutive month. 制造业经济到10月份已连续萎缩6个月了。

6. V-T If you contract a serious illness, you become ill with it. 染 (重病)[正式] [no cont]

He contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. 他因一次输血感染了艾滋病。

7. PHRASE If you are under contract to someone, you have signed a contract agreeing to work for them, and for no one else, during a fixed period of time. 已经与…签订合同

The director wanted Olivia de Havilland, then under contract to Warner Brothers. 导演想要奥莉维亚·德·哈维兰，但是那时她已经签约华纳兄弟公司。