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traction

[ trak-shuhn ]
/ ˈtrĂŠk ʃən /
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noun
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Origin of traction

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

OTHER WORDS FROM traction

trac·tion·al, adjectivenon·trac·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use traction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for traction

traction
/ (ˈtrĂŠkʃən) /

noun
the act of drawing or pulling, esp by motive power
the state of being drawn or pulled
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
the adhesive friction between a wheel and a surface, as between a driving wheel of a motor vehicle and the road

Derived forms of traction

tractional, adjectivetractive (ˈtrĂŠktÉȘv), adjective

Word Origin for traction

C17: from Medieval Latin tractiƍ, from Latin tractus dragged; see tractile
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 traction

traction
[ trăkâ€Čshən ]

Static friction, as of a wheel on a track or a tire on a road. See more at friction.
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.
The American HeritageŸ Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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