TRACTION

traction

(noun) (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”

grip, traction, adhesive friction

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

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

traction (usually uncountable, plural tractions)

The act of pulling something along a surface using motive power.

The condition of being so pulled.

Grip.

The pulling power of an engine or animal.

The adhesive friction of a wheel etc on a surface.

(usually, after forms of gain, get or have) Progress in or momentum toward achieving a goal.

(business) The extent of adoption of a new product or service, typically measured in number of customers or level of revenue achieved.

(politics) Popular support.

(academia) Scholarly interest and research.

(medicine) A mechanically applied sustained pull, especially to a limb.

(transport) Collectively, the locomotives of a railroad, especially electric locomotives.

Verb

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

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

Anagrams

• tacitron

Source: Wiktionary

Trac"tion, n. Etym: [L. trahere, tractum, to draw: cf. F. traction.]

1. The act of drawing, or the state of being drawn; as, the traction of a muscle.

2. Specifically, the act of drawing a body along a plane by motive power, as the drawing of a carriage by men or horses, the towing of a boat by a tug.

3. Attraction; a drawing toward. [R.]

4. The adhesive friction of a wheel on a rail, a rope on a pulley, or the like. Knight. Angle of traction (Mech.), the angle made with a given plane by the line of direction in which a tractive force acts.

– Traction engine, a locomotive for drawing vehicles on highways or in the fields.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition