friction
Physics. surface resistance to relative motion, as of a body sliding or rolling.
the rubbing of the surface of one body against that of another: Rubber on pavement has more friction than steel wheel on steel rail.
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.
Origin of friction
1Other words for friction
| 3 | discord, dissidence, clash, antagonism, contention, wrangling |
Other words from friction
- fric·tion·less, adjective
- fric·tion·less·ly, adverb
- in·ter·fric·tion, noun
- non·fric·tion, noun
- self-fric·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use friction in a sentence
Which makes everyone feel safe but now is also the source of some friction.
Where it may improve things is in reducing friction in things like organizing voice chat and joining friends’ games.
Review: Sony’s PlayStation 5 is here, but next-generation gaming is still on its way | Devin Coldewey | November 6, 2020 | TechCrunchWe oil chains to reduce friction, but the act of oiling them invites contamination that ultimately increases friction.
Trying to balance productivity and safety, Whole Foods also had some friction with their workforce.
How to Succeed by Being Authentic (Hint: Carefully) (Ep. 438) | Stephen J. Dubner | November 5, 2020 | FreakonomicsEventually, once Measure Up eliminates the frictions around reporting, D&I will have a list of its own, which will become a new franchise for Fortune, he said.
How Fortune is holding top companies accountable to their promises on diversity and inclusion | Kayleigh Barber | November 2, 2020 | Digiday
The beauty of digital businesses is that they are comparatively frictionless.
Amazon Stock May Be Up, but the Company Still Doesn’t Make Any Money | Daniel Gross | October 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTMy market had become what social psychologists call “frictionless.”
Not Finding Love Online: Dan Slater’s Adventures in Algorithm Dating | Dan Slater | February 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTNo ads, no tracking—and no sharing, no matter how “frictionless” that sharing claims to be.
Are the Rumors About a Facebook Phone True—And Will It Live Up to Its Competitors? | Dan Lyons | November 22, 2011 | THE DAILY BEASTZuckerberg says it will work through frictionless experiences, real-time serendipity, and patterns found through friends.
This may possibly be a correct representation of what would occur on an ideal globe entirely covered with a frictionless ocean.
Time and Tide | Robert S. (Robert Stawell) BallIt is in the nature of a slight and frictionless cushion at all points where the two pieces of metal meet.
Farm Engines and How to Run Them | James H. StephensonThe line abc in both figures shows the variation of free surface level, supposing the pipe frictionless.
It has still to be completed by showing this is only true if the pulleys are frictionless.
From that day on Stella found in her hands the reins over a smooth, frictionless, well-ordered existence.
Big Timber | Bertrand W. Sinclair
British Dictionary definitions for friction
/ (ˈfrɪkʃən) /
a resistance encountered when one body moves relative to another body with which it is in contact
the act, effect, or an instance of rubbing one object against another
disagreement or conflict; discord
phonetics the hissing element of a speech sound, such as a fricative
perfumed alcohol used on the hair to stimulate the scalp
Origin of friction
1Derived forms of friction
- frictional, adjective
- frictionless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for friction
[ frĭk′shən ]
A force on objects or substances in contact with each other that resists motion of the objects or substances relative to each other.♦ 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.♦ 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. See also drag.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for friction
The resistance of an object to the medium through which or on which it is traveling, such as air, water, or a solid floor.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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