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RELATED WORDS
suction, grip, purchase, stress, strain, pull, absorption, stretch, drag, adherence, adhesion, suck, contraction, drawing, constriction, draught, resorption, haulage, towage
Nearby words
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
Examples from the Web for traction
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 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
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.