Lewis & Short

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contractūra, ae, f. [id.; lit. a drawing together; hence], t. t. in architecture, a lessening, contracting (of pillars), Vitr. 3, 3, 12; 5, 1, 3 al.

con-trăho, xi, ctum, 3, v. a., to draw or bring several objects together, to collect, assemble (freq. and class.).

  1. I. In gen.
    1. A. Lit. (syn. colligo; opp. dissipo): quae in rerum naturā constarent quaeque moverentur, ea contrahere amicitiam, dissipare discordiam, Cic. Lael. 7, 24: cohortes ex finitimis regionibus, Caes. B. C. 1, 15: exercitum in unum locum, id. B. G. 1, 34; cf.: omnes copias Luceriam, Cic. Att. 8, 1, 2; and: omnia in unum locum, id. ib. 8, 11, B, 3: omnes copias eo, Nep. Ages. 3, 1: navibus circiter LXXX. coactis, contractisque, Caes. B. G. 4, 22; cf.: magnam classem, Nep. Con. 4, 4: naves, Suet. Calig. 19: agrestes, Ov. F. 4, 811: captivos, Liv. 37, 44, 3: utrumque ad colloquium, id. 28, 18, 2: undique libros, Suet. Aug. 31; cf. exemplaria, id. Gram. 24: muscas in manu, Plin. 12, 25, 54, § 122; cf. serpentes, id. 28, 9, 42, § 151: ii, qui in idem (collegium) contracti fuerint, Traj. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 34 (43), 1
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. To bring about, carry into effect, accomplish, execute, get, contract, occasion, cause, produce, make, etc. (very freq.): amicitiam, Cic. Lael. 14, 48: vinculum amicitiae, Val. Max. 4, 7 init.: aliquid litigii, Plaut. Cas. 3, 2, 31; cf. lites, id. Capt. prol. 63: qui hoc mihi contraxit, id. Cas. 3, 2, 21; cf.: negotium mihi, Cic. Cat. 4, 5, 9; and: numinis iram mihi (arte), Ov. M. 2, 660: bellum Saguntinis, Liv. 24, 42, 11: aliquid damni, Cic. Fin. 5, 30, 91: molestias, id. Fam. 2, 16, 5; cf. Sall. H. 2, 41, 8 Dietsch: aes alienum, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 25: causam certaminis, Liv. 22, 28, 4; cf. certamen, id. 23, 26, 11; 25, 34, 10 al.: necessitates ad bellum, id. 44, 27, 12: culpam, to incur, Cic. Att. 11, 24, 1 al.: cruditatem, Quint. 7, 3, 38; cf. id. 2, 10, 6: morbum, Plin. 30, 8, 21, § 65: pestilentiam, id. 36, 27, 69, § 202: saginam corporis, Just. 21, 2: causam valetudinis ex profluvio alvi, Suet. Aug. 97 fin. et saep.: porca contracta, owed, due, sc. for the expiation of a crime, Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 57 fin.
      2. 2. In the lang. of business, t. t., to make a contract, conclude a bargain, to contract: rationem, rem cum illo, Cic. Clu. 14, 41; cf. id. Off. 1, 17, 53; id. Sull. 20, 56; id. Att. 7, 7, 7: in tribuendo suum cuique et rerum contractarum fide, id. Off. 1, 5, 14: ex rebus contrahendis, id. ib. 3, 15, 61: in contrahendis negotiis, id. ib. 2, 11, 40: adfinitas inter Caesarem et Pompeium contracta nuptiis, Vell. 2, 44, 3 et saep.
        1. b. Transf. beyond the sphere of business: cum aliquo, to have intercourse with, to associate with, Cic. Off. 1, 2, 4: nihil cum populo, id. Tusc. 5, 36, 105.
  2. II. In partic., with the prevailing idea of shortening or diminishing by drawing together (cf.: cogo, colligo, etc.), to draw close or together, to draw in, contract, shorten, narrow, lessen, abridge, diminish (freq. and class.; opp. porrigo, dilato, tendo).
    1. A. Lit.: animal omne membra quocumque volt flectit, contorquet, porrigit, contrahit, Cic. Div. 1, 53, 120: pulmones tum se contrahunt adspirantes, tum intrante spiritu dilatant, id. N. D. 2, 55, 136: contractum aliquo morbo bovis cor, id. Div. 2, 16, 37; cf.: se millepeda tactu, Plin. 29, 6, 39, § 136: bina cornua (opp. protendere), id. 9, 32, 51, § 101: collum. Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41; opp. tendere, Quint. 11, 3, 82: frontem, to wrinkle, contract, Cic. Clu. 26, 72; Hor. S. 2, 2, 125: supercilia (opp. deducere), Quint. 11, 3, 79: medium digitum in pollicem, id. 11, 3, 92; cf.: contractum genibus tangas caput, Hor. S. 2, 7, 61: gravissimo frigore solus atque contractus vigilabit in lectulo, Hier. Ep. 53: castra, Caes. B. G. 7, 40: vela, Hor. C. 2, 10, 23; Quint. 12, prooem. § 4; cf. Cic. Att. 1, 16, 2: orbem (lunae), Ov. M. 15, 198: umbras, id. ib. 3, 144: orationem (with summittere), Quint. 11, 1, 45; cf. id. 12, 11, 16: tempora dicendi, id. 6, 5, 4 et saep.: lac, to curdle, coagulate, Plin. 23, 7, 63, § 117.
      Of bees: contracto frigore pigrae ( = contractae frigore pigro), Verg. G. 4, 259; cf.: pigrum est enim contractumque frigus, Sen. Ira, 2, 19, 2: horrida tempestas contraxit caelum, narrows, Hor. Epod. 13, 1: vulnera, Plin. 24, 8, 33, § 48; cf. cicatrices, id. 12, 17, 38, § 77: ventrem, to stop, check, Cels. 4, 19; cf. alvum, id. ib.: vomitiones, Plin. 20, 2, 6, § 11.
      1. 2. Esp., archit. t. t., to narrow, make smaller or tapering: columnam, Vitr. 4, 3, 4; cf. id. 3, 3, 12; 4, 7, 2: pyramis XXIV. gradibus in metae cacumen se contrahens, Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 31.
    2. B. Trop., to draw in, lessen, check, restrain ( = certis limitibus quasi coartare et circumscribere; opp. remittere, diffundere): cui non animus formidine divum contrahitur? Lucr. 5, 1219; cf.: te rogo, ne contrahas ac demittas animum, do not suffer your spirits to droop, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1, § 4; and: animos varietas sonorum (opp. remittere), id. Leg. 2, 15, 38: terram quasi tristitiā (sol; opp. laetificas), id. N. D. 2, 40, 102: ut et bonis amici quasi diffundantur et incommodis contrahantur, are made sad, id. Lael. 13, 48 (cf. id. Tusc. 4, 6, 14): ex quibus intellegitur, appetitus omnes contrahendos sedandosque, id. Off. 1, 29, 103; cf. cupidmem, Hor. C. 3, 16, 39 et saep.
      Hence, contractus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to II.), drawn together into a narrow space, i. e. compressed, contracted, close, short, narrow, abridged, restricted, limited, etc.
    1. A. Lit.: tanto contractioribus ultimis digitis, Quint. 11, 3, 95: nares contractiores habent introitus, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 145: contractior ignis, smaller, Lucr. 5, 569: aequora, Hor. C. 3, 1, 33; cf. freta, Ov. F. 6, 495: locus (with exiguus), Verg. G. 4, 295: Nilus contractior et exilior, Plin. Pan. 30, 3: contractiora spatia ordinum, Col. 5, 5, 3.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. Of language, etc.: et brevis ambitus verborum, Cic. Brut. 44, 162; cf.: contractior oratio, id. ib. 31, 120: propositum dicendi (opp. uberius), Quint. 11, 1, 32: summissā atque contractā voce (opp. erectā et concitatā), id. 11, 3, 175; so, vox, id. 11, 3, 64: parvum opusculum lucubratum his jam contractioribus noctibus, Cic. Par. prooem. § 5.
      2. 2. In gen.: quae studia in his jam aetatibus nostris contractiora esse debent, Cic. Cael. 31, 76: paupertas, stinted, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 20 (cf.: angusta pauperies, id. C. 3, 2, 1); in the same sense transf. to the person: ad mare descendet vates tuus et sibi parcet Contractusque leget, retired, solitary, id. ib. 1, 7, 12; cf. homo, Verg. M. 78.
        Adv.: contractē, on a contracted scale; only in comp.: assuescamus. servis paucioribus serviri, habitare contractius, Sen. Tranq. 9, 3; Lact. 2, 8, 39 al.