Link Centre Dictionary

traction

trac·tion

UK/ˈtɹak.ʃən/ US/ˈtɹæk.ʃən/ uncommon obsolete

noun

1.

the friction between a body and the surface on which it moves (as between an automobile tire and the road)

Synonyms
2.

(orthopedics) the act of pulling on a bone or limb (as in a fracture) to relieve pressure or align parts in a special way during healing

  • “his leg was in traction for several days”

Origin

From Medieval Latin tractio, from Latin tractus, perfect passive participle of verb trahere (“pull”), + noun of action suffix -io (genitive -ionis).

Phrases

  • gain traction
  • traction alopecia
  • traction battery
  • traction engine
  • traction motor

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.