traction

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹæk.ʃən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ækʃən

Noun

traction (usually uncountable, plural tractions)

1. The act of pulling something along a surface using motive power.
2. The condition of being so pulled.
3. Grip.
4. The pulling power of an engine or animal.
5. The adhesive friction of a wheel etc on a surface.
6. (usually after forms of gain, get or have) Progress in or momentum toward achieving a goal, especially in gaining support, recognition, or popularity.
   1. (business) The extent of adoption of a new product or service, typically measured in number of customers or level of revenue achieved.
   2. (politics) Popular support.
   3. (academia) Scholarly interest and research.
      • 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 2:

        Despite this somewhat late start, the field of study has gained great traction globally, and since 2015 has even had its own journal: Linguistic Landscape: An International Journal.

7. (medicine) A mechanically applied sustained pull, especially to a limb.
8. (transport) Collectively, the locomotives of a railroad, especially electric locomotives.

Derived terms

• gain traction
• non-traction
• re-tractioning, retractioning
• traction alopecia
• traction battery
• traction engine
• traction motor
• tractive

 

Related terms

• contraction
• subtraction

Translations

act of pulling something along a surface using motive power

• Bulgarian: теглене (bg) n (teglene), влачене (bg) (vlačene)
• Catalan: tracció (ca) f
• Dutch: aandrijving (nl) f
• Finnish: veto (fi)
• Galician: tracción (gl) f
• Italian: trazione (it) f
• Macedonian: влеча f (vleča), влечење f (vlečenje)
• Ottoman Turkish: چكیش (çekiş)
• Portuguese: tração (pt)
• Spanish: tracción f

condition of being so pulled

• Dutch: aandrijving (nl) f

pulling power of an engine or animal

• Bulgarian: тяга (bg) (tjaga)
• Dutch: trekkracht (nl) m or f
• Finnish: vetovoima (fi)
• Macedonian: влеча f (vleča), влечна сила f (vlečna sila)

adhesive friction of a wheel etc on a surface

• Bulgarian: сцепление (bg) n (sceplenie)
• Dutch: tractie (nl) f
• Finnish: pito (fi)
• Italian: aderenza (it) f
• Polish: przyczepność f

mechanically applied sustained pull, especially to a limb

• Bulgarian: разтягане (bg) n (raztjagane)
• Finnish: veto (fi), traktio
• Galician: tracción (gl) f
• Italian: trazione (it) f
• Polish: wyciąg (pl) m
• Spanish: tracción f

extent of adoption of a new product or service

• Italian: spinta (it) f
• Russian: подде́ржка (ru) f (poddéržka)

Verb

traction (third-person singular simple present tractions, present participle tractioning, simple past and past participle tractioned)

1. (medicine, transitive) To apply a sustained pull to (a limb, etc.).

Anagrams

• orticant, tacitron

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin tractiōnem, from trahō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʁak.sjɔ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

traction f (plural tractions)

1. traction
2. (gymnastics) pull-up

Derived terms

• système de traction asservie

Related terms

• attraction
• tracter
• traire

Further reading

• “traction”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.