traction

[trak-shuhn]

noun

1. the adhesive friction of a body on some surface, as a wheel on a rail or a tire on a road.

2. the action of drawing a body, vehicle, train, or the like, along a surface, as a road, track, railroad, or waterway.

3. Medicine/Medical.,  the deliberate and prolonged pulling of a muscle, organ, or the like, as by weights, to correct dislocation, relieve pressure, etc.

4. transportation by means of railroads.

5. the act of drawing or pulling.

6. the state of being drawn.

7. the support or momentum needed to advance something or make it successful.

   Her proposal failed to gain traction among our board members.

8. attracting power or influence; attraction.

   The main character feels the traction of fate.

traction

/ ˈtræktɪv, ˈtrækʃən /

noun

1. the act of drawing or pulling, esp by motive power

2. the state of being drawn or pulled

3. med the application of a steady pull on a part during healing of a fractured or dislocated bone, using a system of weights and pulleys or splints

4. the adhesive friction between a wheel and a surface, as between a driving wheel of a motor vehicle and the road

traction

1. Static friction, as of a wheel on a track or a tire on a road.

2. See more at friction

3. A sustained pulling force applied mechanically to a part of the body by means of a weighted apparatus in order to correct the position of fractured or dislocated bones, especially of the arm, leg, or neck.

Other Word Forms

• tractive adjective
• tractional adjective
• nontraction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of traction¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin tractiōn- (stem of tractiō ) “act of drawing,” equivalent to tract(us) (past participle of trahere “to draw, drag, pull”) + -iōn-; -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of traction¹

C17: from Medieval Latin tractiō , from Latin tractus dragged; see _tractile

Example Sentences

The average time spent on “Delta Force” in August has surpassed that of “Honor of Kings” as well as ” Peackeeper Elite,” showing the game’s strong traction in terms of user activities and engagement, they say.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“If Beutner jumps in and starts to get some traction, it makes it easier for Caruso to jump in,” Guerra said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“It is clear that the city is getting traction.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Vayas's Geneva draft treaty text was instantly ripped apart by countries in brutal fashion, and while a revised effort gained some traction, the clock ran out.

Read more on Barron's

And the idea is gaining traction elsewhere as the technology upends workforces.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• suction