traction

American  

[trak-shuhn] / ˈtræk ʃən /

noun

tractions plural

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.

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traction British  

/ 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

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traction Scientific  

/ trăk′shən /

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nontraction
  noun
• tractional
  adjective
• tractive
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tractions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of traction

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-; see -ion

Explanation

In medicine, traction is the act of pulling on bones or limbs in a certain way to help with healing. An arm in traction is temporarily tied up, but it is probably on the mend. A person in traction is presently immobile, but traction can also be used to describe the state of an object being pulled, or the friction between that object and the surface it is pulled across. Traction can also refer to something or someone that has picked up movement, like an idea or a candidate. If your idea for chocolate covered onions has gained traction, it is becoming popular; if it has lost traction, people have come to their senses.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

traction tractions

But it is also gaining traction with Chinese speakers in countries like Malaysia and Singapore -- and not just among young women.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

The perennial ryegrass used in Europe is resistant to wear, but it also doesn’t have the traction players have become accustomed to in the NFL.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

But Chinese models have gained traction in the U.S. by offering good-enough capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The tweet gained significant traction and reignited the debate about the tour, with some agreeing with Hawksley but many others saying the show was presented as advertised.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

The riding surface was all knobbly for traction, but it was amazing how easy it was to slip off.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

In addition to Patagonia products, the store will stock DaKine tractions pads and leashes, Ocean Minded sandals, Nixon watches, Smith sunglasses, and a large selection of surfboard fins.

From Time Magazine Archive

She often worked in the front seat of theii Chevrolet, parked away from the dis tractions of home.

From Time Magazine Archive

When he died in 1915 he left a fortune of over $30,000,000 largely made out of banking, sugar, rubber, public utilities, tractions.

From Time Magazine Archive

The stress that suffices in the simpler problem gives rise to no vertical force, and it is clear that in addition to longitudinal tensions and pressures there must be tangential tractions on the cross-sections.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various

Oblique tractions can always be resolved, by the vector law, into normal and tangential tractions.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various

Related Words

• suction