1.contract作“订契约”解时,指双方为共同利益所吸引。用作及物动词时可接名词或动词不定式作宾语; 用作不及物动词接for可表示“承包”“录入”; 接in可表示“承诺加入”; 接with可表示“与…订合约”。
2.contract作“缩小”解时,指由于内部的力量,使物体的范围和结构收缩集中,多用作不及物动词,引申可表示缩写,这时常接介词to。也可用作及物动词接名词或代词作宾语。
3.contract用作不及物动词时,可表示“订合同,订约”,后面常接介词with; 与介词for连用表示原因或目的。
4.contract作“感染疾病”或“染上恶习”解时是及物动词，接名词或代词作宾语。

contract for(v.+prep.)
承建; 承包,承办 offer one's price for making or supplying (sth)
▲contract for sth
The builders have contracted for three bridges this year.今年这些建筑工人已经承包了三座新桥梁。

contract in(v.+adv.)
承诺参加 promise officially to take part in (an activity)
▲ contract in
How many of the companies have contracted in so far?到目前为止已有多少公司承诺加入呢?

contract out(v.+adv.)
1.包出(某事项或某工程) give (a job) by contract
▲contract out
I don't want to be associated with your scheme; I'm contracting out.我不想参与你们的计划; 我要退出。
▲contract sth ⇔ out
The city council has already contracted out the work on the new road.市政会已把这条新路的铺设工作包出去了。
2.拒绝参加 refuse to join (in an agreement, etc.)
▲contract out of sth
Workers are permitted to contract out of the latest old-age insurance plan.允许工人们不参加最近的老年保险计划。

contract to(v.+prep.)
缩写成 abbreviate (sth) into (sth)
▲contract sth to sth
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
In conversational English “is not” often contracts to “isn't”.英语口语中is not常缩写为isn't。
“I am” is often contracted to “I'm”.I am常缩写成I'm。

contract with(v.+prep.)
1.与(某人)订立(某种协议); 与(某人)建立(某种关系) make (an agreement) or form (relationship) with (sb)
▲contract sth with sb
The woman claims that she contracted a form of marriage with the prisoner, who already has a wife.这位妇女声称她与这个囚犯曾订立婚约,但他已经有了妻子。
She had contracted an alliance with a wealthy man of rank.她和一位有身份的富人联姻。
2.与(某人或某公司)签订合同 make an agreement in law with (sb or a firm)
▲contract with sth
The city council has contracted with White Company for the new building.市议会已与怀特公司就建造新楼一事签了合同。
They contracted with that factory for ten lathes.他们和那家工厂立约购买10台车床。
Our shop contracted with a clothing firm to buy 100 coats a week.我们商店和一家服装公司签订合同,每周从那里买一百件外套。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
Earthworms can contract.蚯蚓能缩小。
Metal contracts as it becomes cool.金属冷却时体积缩小。
Bad habits are easy to contract.坏习惯是很容易养成的。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
They've contracted an agreement.他们缔结了一项协议。
The two business contracted a merger.这两家公司签约合并为一家。
She contracted debts of 1000 yuan.她负债一千元。
He contracted huge debts by rash spending.他由于乱花钱而背上沉重的债务。
His hoarseness and coughing showed that he had contracted a cold.他嗓音嘶哑又咳嗽,这表明他患了感冒。
My son's contracted a severe fever.我的儿子已患病,严重高烧。
When you bend your elbow, you contract the muscles of the arm.你屈肘时,手臂的肌肉收缩。
By moving into smaller quarters he hoped shortly to contract his expenses.他搬进了较小的住房,希望不久就会紧缩自己的开销。
▲S+～+to-v
They have contracted to build a railway across Africa.他们已立约承建一条穿越非洲的铁路。

contract, abbreviate, abridge, condense, shorten
这组词用于字词、段落、章节等时,都含有“删减”或“精简”的意思。它们的区别在于:
1.abridge, condense和shorten都可指压缩文章、著作的篇幅而内容不变, abridge比shorten更文雅; abbreviate主要用于删除音节、字母或单词而保留词头; contract通常指省略单词的中间部分,不包括只保留词头的词。
2.表示“缩略成…”时, abbreviate, condense, contract和shorten常与介词to搭配; condense也常与介词into搭配。
contract, compress, condense, shrink
参见condense条。
contract, covenant, engage, pledge, promise
参见promise条。

Once you have reached formal agreement, you should enter into a contract with the other party.你一旦达成正式协议,就应该和对方签订合同。
How long ago did you sign the contract?你多久以前签的合同?
We can ill afford to lose this contract.我们承受不起失去这份合同所带来的损失。

contract, agreement, pact, treaty
参见pact条。

［同义词］ n. agreement