friction
Americannoun
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Physics. surface resistance to relative motion, as of a body sliding or rolling.
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the rubbing of the surface of one body against that of another.
Rubber on pavement has more friction than steel wheel on steel rail.
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dissension or conflict between people, nations, etc., because of differing ideas, wishes, etc..
Friction between family members can escalate during a heat wave, as extreme weather can cause tempers to fray.
- Synonyms:
- contention, antagonism, clash, dissidence, discord
noun
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a resistance encountered when one body moves relative to another body with which it is in contact
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the act, effect, or an instance of rubbing one object against another
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disagreement or conflict; discord
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phonetics the hissing element of a speech sound, such as a fricative
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perfumed alcohol used on the hair to stimulate the scalp
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A force on objects or substances in contact with each other that resists motion of the objects or substances relative to each other.
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◆ Static friction arises between two objects that are not in motion with respect to each other, as for example between a cement block and a wooden floor. It increases to counterbalance forces that would move the objects, up to a certain maximum level of force, at which point the objects will begin moving. It is measured as the maximum force the bodies will sustain before motion occurs.
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◆ Kinetic friction arises between bodies that are in motion with respect to each other, as for example the force that works against sliding a cement block along a wooden floor. Between two hard surfaces, the kinetic friction is usually somewhat lower than the static friction, meaning that more force is required to set the objects in motion than to keep them in motion.
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See also drag
Other Word Forms
- frictional adjective
- frictionless adjective
- frictionlessly adverb
- interfriction noun
- nonfriction noun
- self-friction noun
Etymology
Origin of friction
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin frictiōn-, stem of frictiō “a rubbing,” from frict(us) “rubbed” (past participle of fricāre “to rub”) + -iō -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For over 300 years, Amontons' law has linked friction directly to how much force presses two surfaces together.
From Science Daily
If the moat was friction, not technology, the following sectors are exposed.
From MarketWatch
That has been a big source of friction with fire victims, fueling the ongoing litigation over the matter.
From Los Angeles Times
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has welcomed the comments as a major step forward on an issue that has caused diplomatic friction between the two countries in recent years.
From BBC
But during a time of social friction, war abroad and growing ecological awareness at home, artists’ aims expanded, and land art matched the moment.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
