MUSCLE CONTRACTION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does muscle contraction mean? 

• MUSCLE CONTRACTION (noun)
  The noun MUSCLE CONTRACTION has 1 sense:

1. (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)

  Familiarity information: MUSCLE CONTRACTION used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MUSCLE CONTRACTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

contraction; muscle contraction; muscular contraction

Hypernyms ("muscle contraction" is a kind of...):

shortening (act of decreasing in length)

Domain category:

physiology (the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "muscle contraction"):

contracture (an abnormal and usually permanent contraction of a muscle)

tetanus (a sustained muscular contraction resulting from a rapid series of nerve impulses)

uterine contraction (a rhythmic tightening in labor of the upper uterine musculature that contracts the size of the uterus and pushes the fetus toward the birth canal)

Braxton-Hicks contraction; false labor (painless contractions of the muscles of the uterus that continue throughout pregnancy with increasing frequency)

vaginismus (muscular contraction that causes the vagina to close; usually an anxiety reaction before coitus or pelvic examination)

 Context examples 

Any agent that relaxes skeletal muscles and reduces muscle contraction.

(Muscle Relaxant, NCI Thesaurus)

A muscle relaxant preparation is used to prevent muscle spasms by inhibiting muscle contractions and to relief pain associated with the spasms.

(Muscle Relaxant Preparation, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene plays a role in muscle contraction.

(MYH1 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes myosin-11 protein, plays a role in the regulation of muscle contraction.

(MYH11 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

The muscarinic cholinergic receptor 3 controls smooth muscle contraction and its stimulation causes secretion of glandular tissue.

(Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M3, NCI Thesaurus)

By acting directly on the myometrium, dinoprostone induces uterine and gastrointestinal smooth muscle contractions.

(Dinoprostone, NCI Thesaurus)

This prevents smooth muscle contraction and results in vasodilatation.

(Dapiprazole Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

This results in increased force of myocardial muscle contraction.

(Digitalin, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene is involved in skeletal muscle contraction.

(MYH2 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes myosin-2 protein, plays a role in muscle contraction.

(MYH2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)