contract: [14] English acquired the word contract in stages, although in all cases the ultimate source was contractus, the past participle of Latin contrahere, a compound verb formed from the prefix com- ‘together’ and trahere ‘pull, draw’ (source of English traction and tractor). This meant literally ‘pull together’, but it had a variety of metaphorical senses, including ‘bring about’ and ‘enter into an agreement’, and it was the latter which first passed into English via Old French as a noun meaning ‘mutual agreement’.
The arrival of the verb contract did not happen until the 16th century; it developed from an earlier adjective contract, which came again from Old French contract. This introduced a further sense of Latin contrahere; ‘become narrowed, get smaller’. => distract, retract, traction, tractor
contract (v.)
late 14c., "make narrow, draw together;" early 15c. "make an agreement;" from Middle French contracter, from Latin contractus, past participle of contrahere "to draw together, combine, make an agreement" (see contract (n.)). Related: Contracted; contracting.
contract (n.)
early 14c., from Old French contract (Modern French contrat), from Latin contractus "a contract, agreement," from past participle of contrahere "to draw together," metaphorically, "to make a bargain," from com- "together" (see com-) + trahere "to draw" (see tract (n.1)). U.S. underworld sense of "arrangement to kill someone" first recorded 1940.
实用例句
1. A formal contract is signed which is renewable annually.
正式签订了每年可续签的合同。
来自柯林斯例句
2. That contract proved to be a millstone around his neck.
那个合同结果成了他的一个负担。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The contract was awarded to a previously unknown company.
合同签给了一个之前并不知名的公司。
来自柯林斯例句
4. She's coining it in with a $10 million contract with Revlon.
她靠与露华浓签订的一笔1,000万美元的合同发了大财。
来自柯林斯例句
5. They can transfer or share the contract with whosoever they choose.
