traction

[trak-shuhn]

noun

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.

traction

/ 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

traction

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.

Other Word Forms

• tractional adjective
• nontraction noun
• tractive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of traction¹

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-; -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of traction¹

C17: from Medieval Latin tractiō , from Latin tractus dragged; see _tractile

Example Sentences

Amazon handed Whole Foods Chief Executive Jason Buechel responsibility over its entire grocery operation earlier this year, including its Amazon Fresh markets and Amazon Go cashierless convenience stores—concepts that have struggled to gain traction.

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Whirlpool, which is the largest U.S.-based appliance producer, said its sales rose unexpectedly as it gained traction in North America with new products.

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The traction that SpaceX has gained with the coming satellite fleets is another sign of the company’s growing influence in U.S. national security.

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That’s not a position that gets much traction among the disabled people appearing in director Reid Davenport’s “Life After,” one of whom calls the cause “reminiscent of the Third Reich.”

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The integrated traction motor also serves as the starter.

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Related Words

• suction