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contraction

noun [U] (MUSCLE)
 
 
/kənˈtræk.ʃən/

Definition

[C] one of the very strong and usually painful movements of the muscles in the womb that help to push the baby out of the mother's body during the process of birth: She was having regular strong contractions every four minutes.BirthPregnancy
(Definition of contraction noun (MUSCLE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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