contract noun
1 written agreement
ADJ. long-term, permanent | casual, fixed-term, short-term | three-year, two-year, etc. | formal, written | verbal | legal, valid | void The contract was declared void. | enforceable, unenforceable (law) | big, important, major | lucrative | business, commercial | employment, maintenance, research, service | catering, construction, haulage | marriage
VERB + CONTRACT have Many workers do not have written contracts. | bid for, tender for Eighteen companies are bidding for the contract. | award (sb), give sb | get, win | lose The firm lost the contract to a large London company. | negotiate She managed to negotiate a permanent contract with the firm. | draw up, write | conclude, enter into, make, sign He entered into a contract with his former employer. | carry out, execute the firm carrying out the construction contract | cancel, end, repudiate (law), rescind (law), terminate Either party can terminate the contract at any time. | be subject to The offer has been accepted, subject to contract (= the agreement is not legally binding before contracts are signed). | be in breach of, break, violate If you go on strike you will be in breach of contract. | enforce (law) | exchange (law) When a house is auctioned the successful bidder must exchange contracts immediately and pay a deposit.
CONTRACT + VERB expire The contract expires at the end of next year. | be worth sth a series of major contracts worth millions of pounds
CONTRACT + NOUN worker (= one on a fixed-term contract) | law
PREP. in a/the ~ They put a clause in the contract stipulating that the work should be finished by next month. | on a ~ He's on a three-year fixed-term contract. | under ~ (to) At that stage of her career she was still under contract to one of the big Hollywood studios. | under a/the ~ Under her contract of employment, Mrs Lee could not be required to work at a different site. | ~ between the contract between the employer and the employee | ~ for They won a contract for the delivery of five fighter planes. | ~ with Do you have a contract with your employer?
PHRASES (a) breach of contract The company is being sued for breach of contract. | a contract of employment/sale You should make sure that you have a formal contract of employment. | the terms of a contract By using cheaper materials, the company has broken the terms of its contract. | under the terms of a contract Under the terms of the contract the job should have been finished yesterday.
2 agreement to kill sb
VERB + CONTRACT take out | have out He has a contract out on you.
CONTRACT + NOUN killer, killing
PREP. ~ on She took out a contract on her ex-husband.
You can also check other dicts: contract (English, 中文解释 ), wordnet sense, Collins Definition