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Glite Dictionary
contractile

contractile

1 7.4
Able to get smaller by tightening, like muscle tissue
  • adjective
  • /kənˈtræktəl/
  • Specialized
: contráctil
  • More recently, a proteomic analysis revealed that chagasic patients have altered levels of circulating proteins that are involved in the contractile apparatus.
  • contractile apparatus
  • contractile protein
  • contractile force

Well, let's imagine those slow twitch postural muscles get fatigued and they start to lose contractile tension.

Examples

  • Furthermore, the high aerobic capacity and exquisitely rapid contractile speeds of laryngeal muscles are such that the potential for change in endurance and/or speed with exercise is uncertain.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Interestingly, disruption of cardiomyocyte structure would release contractile proteins, such as troponin I, into the serum.

    Academic text (2016)

  • There you have contractile cells that are also sensory.

  • So when we sleep and we have an empty stomach, then the activity, the contractile activity of our gut changes to a very unique pattern.

  • Sponges are a simple multicellular animal that have contractile cells.

  • No evidence of disturbances in the contractile capacity of the myocardium was observed in the subjects with upper limb amputation.

    Academic text (1994)

  • One important possible consequence of chronic inflammation in the heart during Chagas disease is remodeling and damage to different proteins belonging to the contractile machinery.

    Academic text (2016)

  • In summary, infection with T. cruzi appears to profoundly alter the contractile apparatus of cardiomyocytes.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The dynamics of output fraction and Vcf showed a regular decrease in contractile properties of the myocardium in the subjects with amputation, depending upon the amputation defect.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The contractile cells in the heart enable it to pump blood efficiently.

Synonyms

contractible
vscontractile
1 7.0

Can get smaller when it tightens or gets cold

is able to shrink or shorten as a built-in function
contractive
vscontractile
7.3

Tending to make something smaller or bring parts closer together

is capable of shrinking itself rather than making others smaller

Compounds

contractile organ
  • Specialized
6.1

A part of the body that gets shorter to move things, like a muscle or the heart

How Contractile

contractionary
  • Specialized
8.2
contractile
  • Specialized
1 7.4
flaccid
15 7.3

Surface Forms

contractile positive

Morphology

contractile = contract (transparent) = contract + ile

Formed from the verb 'contract' plus the adjectival suffix '-ile' meaning 'capable of' or 'susceptible to', so the meaning 'able to contract' is directly derived.

Etymology

Contractile comes from contract, which means 'draw together' and is made of con- 'together' and tract 'pull' (the same idea behind tractor and attract). So, something contractile is able to pull itself in or get smaller, like a muscle that tightens to make movement.