traction

[ trak-shuh n ]

/ ˈtræk ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR traction ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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

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

transportation by means of railroads.

the act of drawing or pulling.

the state of being drawn.

attracting power or influence; attraction.

Nearby words

tractable, tractarian, tractarianism, tractate, tractile, traction, traction alopecia, traction control, traction diverticulum, traction engine, traction epiphysis

Origin of traction

1605–15; < Medieval Latin tractiōn- (stem of tractiō) act of drawing, equivalent to tract(us), past participle of trahere to draw + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

trac·tion·al, adjectivenon·trac·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for traction

“We really got traction in the last week but we never lost sight of Bergdahl,” he said.
Here are the Taliban Terrorists Obama Released to Free POW Bowe Bergdahl|Eli Lake, Josh Rogin|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But perhaps the main reason Bevin never found any traction is because McConnell was prepared and waiting for him.
Mitch McConnell Sends Tea Party a Message: Don't Get in My Way|Sam Youngman|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Taken out of context, the Virginia bill appears attractive, which is why such bills can get traction so quickly.
Creationism’s Latest Trojan Horse Edges Toward Virginia Schools|Karl W. Giberson|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had moved to L.A. and gotten a little bit of traction there, and I think my manager parlayed that into an audition.
Kate McKinnon Is the Future of ‘Saturday Night Live’|Kevin Fallon|November 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

What a critic feels has no traction at all—what matters is what the critic thinks in relation to what the writer intends.
The Obligation to be Interesting: James Wolcott’s “Critical Mass”|William Giraldi|October 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The matter of traction power for these gun and armament trains near the front set a problem for the Ordnance Department to solve.
America's Munitions 1917-1918|Benedict Crowell
In either case, the bending may be increased by the traction of muscles, and sometimes by the occurrence of greenstick fracture.
Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities--Head--Neck. Sixth Edition.|Alexander Miles
A serious inconvenience to the use of batteries in traction work is the necessary presence of the liquid in the jars.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 829, November 21, 1891|Various
He would tell this traction baron what manner of man he, Basine, was.
Gargoyles|Ben Hecht
The Minneapolis traction engine is built both simple and compound.
Farm Engines and How to Run Them|James H. Stephenson

British Dictionary definitions for traction

traction

/ (ˈtrækʃən) /

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

tractional, adjectivetractive (ˈtræktɪv), adjective

Word Origin for traction

C17: from Medieval Latin tractiō, 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

Medicine definitions for traction

traction

[ trăk′shən ]

n.

The act of drawing or pulling.

A pulling force.

A sustained pull applied mechanically, especially to the arm, leg, or neck, to correct fractured or dislocated bones, to overcome muscle spasms, or to relieve pressure.

Science definitions for traction

traction

[ trăk′shən ]

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.