LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation

contrahō

contrahō (present infinitive contrahere, perfect active contrāxī, supine contractum)
Classical[ˈkɔn.tra.(ɦ)oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈkɔn.tra.o]
contracte sg. voc. m. perf. pass. ptcp.

Meaning

  1. to draw in, bring or drag several objects together; collect, assemble, gather, amass
  2. to bring about, accomplish, execute
  3. to get, cause, produce, make
  4. to make a contract, conclude, transact, do business, contract
  5. to draw close or together, draw in, contract, compress, shorten, narrow, lessen, abridge, diminish
  6. to make smaller or tapering, narrow
  7. to draw in, lessen, check, restrain

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.contrahōcontrahēbamcontrahamcontrāxīcontrāxeramcontrāxerō
2nd sg.contrahiscontrahēbāscontrahēscontrāxistīcontrāxerāscontrāxeris
3rd sg.contrahitcontrahēbatcontrahetcontrāxitcontrāxeratcontrāxerit
1st pl.contrahimuscontrahēbāmuscontrahēmuscontrāximuscontrāxerāmuscontrāxerimus
2nd pl.contrahitiscontrahēbātiscontrahētiscontrāxistiscontrāxerātiscontrāxeritis
3rd pl.contrahuntcontrahēbantcontrahentcontrāxērunt
contrāxēre		contrāxerantcontrāxerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.contrahamcontraheremcontrāxerimcontrāxissem
2nd sg.contrahāscontraherēscontrāxerīscontrāxissēs
3rd sg.contrahatcontraheretcontrāxeritcontrāxisset
1st pl.contrahāmuscontraherēmuscontrāxerīmuscontrāxissēmus
2nd pl.contrahātiscontraherētiscontrāxerītiscontrāxissētis
3rd pl.contrahantcontraherentcontrāxerintcontrāxissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.contrahorcontrahēbarcontrahar
2nd sg.contraheris
contrahere		contrahēbāris
contrahēbāre		contrahēris
contrahēre
3rd sg.contrahiturcontrahēbāturcontrahētur
1st pl.contrahimurcontrahēbāmurcontrahēmur
2nd pl.contrahiminīcontrahēbāminīcontrahēminī
3rd pl.contrahunturcontrahēbanturcontrahentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.contraharcontraherer
2nd sg.contrahāris
contrahāre		contraherēris
contraherēre
3rd sg.contrahāturcontraherētur
1st pl.contrahāmurcontraherēmur
2nd pl.contrahāminīcontraherēminī
3rd pl.contrahanturcontraherentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.contrahecontrahere
pres. 2nd pl.contrahitecontrahiminī
fut. 2nd sg.contrahitōcontrahitor
fut. 3rd sg.contrahitōcontrahitor
fut. 2nd pl.contrahitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.contrahuntōcontrahuntor
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivecontraherecontrahī
perfect infinitivecontrāxissecontractum esse
future infinitivecontractūrum essecontractum īrī
present participlecontrahēns—
perfect participle—contractus
contracta, contractā, contractae, contractam, contractārum, contractās, contracte, contractī, contractīs, contractō, contractōrum, contractōs
future participlecontractūrus
contractūra, contractūrā, contractūrae, contractūram, contractūrārum, contractūrās, contractūre, contractūrī, contractūrīs, contractūrō, contractūrōrum, contractūrōs, contractūrum		contrahendus
contrahundus, contrahenda, contrahendā, contrahendae, contrahendam, contrahendārum, contrahendās, contrahende, contrahendīs, contrahendōrum, contrahendōs
gerundcontrahendī, contrahendō, contrahendumsupinecontractum, contractū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

nihil cum aliquo contrahere
to do no business with a man.
conducere, contrahere copias
to concentrate troops.
culpam committere, contrahere
to commit some blameworthy action.
vela contrahere (also metaph.)
to furl the sails.
frontem contrahere (opp. explicare)
to frown.
aes alienum (always in sing.) facere, contrahere
to incur debts.
contrahere rem or negotium cum aliquo (Cluent. 14. 41)
to have business relations with some one.
amicitiam cum aliquo jungere, facere, inire, contrahere
to form a friendship with any one.

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

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Latincontrahō

Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ-der.? Latin trahō Latin contrahō From con- + trahō (“drag”).

Descendants
  • Catalancontraure
  • Catalancontreure
  • Englishcontract
  • Frenchcontracter
  • Italiancontrarre
  • Portuguesecontrair
  • Romaniancontracta
  • Romaniancontrage
  • Spanishcontraer
  • Dutchcontraheren

In English words that came into English from contrahō

  • contractcontractus
  • contractioncontractiō
  • contractualcontractus
  • contractorcontractor
  • contrahentcontrahens

Quick answers

What does contrahō mean in Latin?
contrahō, a verb, means “to draw in, bring or drag several objects together; collect, assemble, gather, amass; to bring about, accomplish, execute”.
What are the principal parts of contrahō?
contrahō, contrahere, contrāxī, contractum (third conjugation).
How do you pronounce contrahō?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɔn.tra.(ɦ)oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkɔn.tra.o].
Where does contrahō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? → Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm → Proto-Italic *kom → Proto-Italic *kom- → Latin contrahō.
Which English words come from contrahō?
English words that go back to Latin contrahō include contrahent, contract, contraction, contractual and contractor.