What is the Latin word for contraction?

The usual Latin words for “contraction” are contractiō, cōnstrictiō, coartātiō; also porrectĭo, bracchium, supercilium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“contraction” in Latin

contractiōa contraction, drawing together; abridgment, shortening; dejection, despondency cōnstrictiōa binding or drawing together; a binding of the bowels coartātiōdrawing or crowding together porrectĭoa stretching out bracchiumforearm; arm (shoulder to fingers); limb of an animal (e.g. claw, tentacle)superciliumThe eyebrow.; The nod, the will.; Pride, haughtiness, arrogance, sternness, superciliousness.frōnsthe forehead, brow, front; the brow or countenance as an indicator of the feelings; as the mirror of a person's characte compendiumsaving; profit or gain, especially made by saving; shortening, abbreviating; abridgement notōto mark, make a mark; to write, especially in shorthand; to write remarks or notes

The English word contraction itself goes back to Latin trahō, through contractiō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

contraction

contractio (general term digitorum [opposed to remissio or porrectio]; brachii [opposed to projectio]; superciliorum [opposed to remissio]; frontis [opposed to remissio]): constrictio (the binding together; hence, of the intestines by medicine: late): coartatio (of tubes, etc.; opposed to laxatio, Vitr.).

Contraction in words, writing, etc., verborum nota: (scripturae) compendium. [OBSERVE, notae are any conventional marks or signs that stand for a word; thus, Augustus, when he wrote per notas, used b for a, c for b, etc., and aa for z, Suet., Oct., 64.] coitus syllabarum (as vitasse for vitavisse, Quint., 9, 4, 69). [ ☞ Correptio is “the shortening” a syllable: opposed to productio.] To write with contractions, *per compendia scribere: notare (opposed to perscribere, ☞ Bremi, Suet., Oct., 64).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for contraction?: The usual Latin words for “contraction” are contractiō, cōnstrictiō, coartātiō; also porrectĭo, bracchium, supercilium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.