traction

[trak-shuh n]

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.

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

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

Related Words for traction

suction, grip, purchase, stress, strain, pull, absorption, stretch, drag, adherence, adhesion, suck, contraction, drawing, constriction, draught, resorption, haulage, towage

Examples from the Web for traction

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of traction

The next step forward was to substitute for horses a traction engine.
The Age of Invention
Holland Thompson
Hence three traction ropes are fastened at the top of the machine.
Ten Books on Architecture
Vitruvius
Its blocks and traction ropes are arranged as described above.
Ten Books on Architecture
Vitruvius
The power of a traction sprayer is developed from the wheels.
Apple Growing
M. C. Burritt
Its towing power in the water, and that of traction on dry land, is astonishing.
The Western World
W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for traction

traction

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 Formstractional, 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

Word Origin and History for traction

early 15c., "a drawing or pulling" (originally the pulling of a dislocated limb to reposition it), from Medieval Latin tractionem (nominative tractio) "a drawing" (mid-13c.), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin trahere "to pull, draw" (see tract (n.1)). Sense of "rolling friction of a vehicle" first appears 1825.

traction in Medicine

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.

traction in Science

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.