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which arises from the hip bone and is inserted just below the knee. So named because its contraction was supposed to produce the position of the legs assumed by the tailor in sitting.

A contraction of shall not. [Colloq.]

The sudden convulsion or contraction of the muscles, with the feeling of a concussion, caused by the discharge, through the animal system, of electricity from a charged body.

lton. To shrink on (Mach.), to fix (one piece or part) firmly around (another) by natural contraction in cooling, as a tire on a wheel, or a hoop upon a cannon, which is made slightly smaller than the part it is to fit, and expanded by heat till it can be slipped into place.

The act of shrinking; a contraction into less bulk or measurement.

Contraction of Skimming and Skimmed. Skim coat, the final or finishing coat of plaster. -- Skim colter, a colter for paring off the surface of land. -- Skim milk, skimmed milk; milk from which the cream has been taken.

A contraction of Soph ister. [Colloq.]

An involuntary and unnatural contraction of one or more muscles or muscular fibers.

by a stoppage of brathing developed suddenly and without fever, and produced by spasmodic contraction of the vocal cords. It is sometimes fatal. Called also laryngismus stridulus, and childcrowing. -- Spasmodic stricture, a stricture caused by muscular spasm without structural change. See Organic stricture, under Orga…

A muscle which surrounds, and by its contraction tends to close, a natural opening; as, the sphincter of the bladder.

disturbance in the formation of sounds. It is due essentially to long-continued spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm, by which expiration is preented, and hence it may be considered as a spasmodic inspiration.

. It differs from stricture in being applied especially to diffused rather than localized contractions, and in always indicating an origin organic and not spasmodic.

ch the optic axes can not be directed to the same object, -- a defect due either to undue contraction or to undue relaxation of one or more of the muscles which move the eyeball; squinting; cross-eye.

A painful discharge of urine, drop by drop, produced by spasmodic muscular contraction.

A localized morbid contraction of any passage of the body. Cf. Organic stricture, and Spasmodic stricture, under Organic, and Spasmodic. Arbuthnot.

n habitual sudden twitching of the hinder leg of a horse, or an involuntary or convulsive contraction of the muscles that raise the hock. [Written also springhalt.]

A contraction of Studding sail. With every rag set, stunsails, sky scrapers and all. Lowell.

Producing contraction; stopping bleeding; having the quality of restraining hemorrhage when applied to the bleeding part; astringent. [Written also stiptic.] Styptic weed (Bot.), an American leguminous herb (Cassia occidentalis) closely related to the wild senna.

A contraction of Supernumerary, in sense 2. [Theatrical Cant]

Contraction of Swollen, p. p. Milton.