contractor
/kən'træktə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A person or company that agrees to provide goods or perform work at a specified price and time: A contractor is someone who formally agrees to complete a specific job, often in construction or services, for a set amount of money.
- (Law) A party to a contract: In legal terms, a contractor is one of the parties who signs a binding agreement.
- The player in contract bridge who makes the final bid: In the card game contract bridge, the contractor is the player who wins the auction and must try to fulfill the bid.
- (Anatomy) A muscle or organ that contracts: A bodily structure, such as a muscle, that has the function of contracting or shortening.
Usage Examples
- Noun (General/Business):
- We hired a contractor to renovate our kitchen.
- The government is seeking a contractor for the new highway project.
- Noun (Legal):
- The contractor failed to meet the obligations outlined in the agreement.
- Noun (Games):
- As the contractor, she had to choose the trump suit.
- Noun (Anatomy):
- The heart is a powerful contractor.
Advanced Usage
- "Independent contractor": A self-employed person or entity hired to perform work or provide services.
- She works as an independent contractor for several tech companies.
- "Prime/General contractor": The main contractor responsible for overseeing an entire project and often hiring subcontractors.
- The general contractor coordinated all the subcontractors on the building site.
Variants and Related Words
- Contract (n/v): The formal agreement itself, or the act of making such an agreement.
- They signed a contract for the new house.
- Subcontractor (n): A person or firm hired by the main contractor to perform a specific portion of the work.
- The electrical work was done by a subcontractor.
- Contractual (adj): Relating to or part of a contract.
- They have a contractual obligation to finish by December.
Synonyms
- Builder: A person or company that constructs buildings.
- Vendor: A person or company offering something for sale, especially a trader in the street.
- Supplier: A person or organization that provides something needed.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Contractor" is a noun, so it does not have phrasal verbs. However, its root verb "contract" does.) - Contract out: To arrange for work to be done by an outside company or contractor. - The company decided to contract out its cleaning services.
Related Idioms
- "To be in the contractor's seat": To be in the position of control or responsibility for a project. (This is a less common, contextual idiom derived from the general meaning.)
- With the new bid won, our firm is finally in the contractor's seat.
Noun
- a bodily organ that contracts
- (law) a party to a contract
- the bridge player in contract bridge who wins the bidding and can declare which suit is to be trumps
- someone (a person or firm) who contracts to build things