A reversible reduction in size.
The acquisition of something, generally negative.
A period of economic decline or negative growth.
Syncope, the loss of sounds from within a word.
A process whereby one or more sounds of a free morpheme (a word) are lost or reduced, such that it becomes a bound morpheme (a clitic) that attaches phonologically to an adjacent word.
A strong and often painful shortening of the uterine muscles prior to or during childbirth.
A shorthand symbol indicating an omission for the purpose of brevity.
A word with omitted letters replaced by an apostrophe, usually resulting from the above process.
The process of contracting a disease.
A distinct stage of wound healing, wherein the wound edges are gradually pulled together.
A shortening of a muscle during its use.
Extending limited data to make up for gaps
The act of extending or contracting in the manner of a telescope.
A telescopic action.