contractile

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: con=trac=tile

CIDE DICTIONARY

contractile, a. [Cf. F. contractile.].

 tending to contract; having the power or property of contracting, or of shrinking into shorter or smaller dimensions; as, the contractile tissues.  [1913 Webster]
"The heart's contractile force."  [1913 Webster]
"Each cilium seems to be composed of contractile substance."  [1913 Webster]

Contractile vacuole (Zoöl.), a pulsating cavity in the interior of a protozoan, supposed to be excretory in function. There may be one, two, or more.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

contractile, adj. capable of or producing contraction.

Derivative

contractility n.

ROGET THESAURUS

contractile

Contraction

N contraction, reduction, diminution, decrease of size, defalcation, decrement, lessening, shrinking, compaction, tabes, collapse, emaciation, attenuation, tabefaction, consumption, marasmus, atrophy, systole, neck, hourglass, condensation, compression, compactness, compendium, squeezing, strangulation, corrugation, astringency, astringents, sclerotics, contractility, compressibility, coarctation, inferiority in size, contracting, astringent, shrunk, contracted, strangulated, tabid, wizened, stunted, waning, neap, compact, unexpanded &c (expand), contractile, compressible, smaller &c (small).