Uncontracts

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To annul or reverse a formal agreement or contract ; to cause a muscle to return to its relaxed state after being contracted
2. To cancel or undo the terms of a binding arrangement ; to relax a muscle following contraction
3. To rescind or withdraw from a contract or agreement ; to make a muscle loosen after it has tightened

Etymology: The verb "uncontracts" is simply the third-person singular present form of "uncontract," so the real story lies in the verb it comes from. "Uncontract" is formed from the prefix "un-," meaning "reverse" or "undo," attached to "contract." Contract itself comes from Latin "contrahere," "to draw together," built from "com-" ("together") and "trahere" ("to draw"). That original sense of drawing things closer is the reverse of what "uncontract" describes: letting a muscle or an agreement loosen, or undoing a binding arrangement.

Synonyms: expands, extends, relaxes, loosens, elongates

Antonyms: contracts, shrinks, tightens, compresses, condenses