Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

TRACTIONAL

 - 5 dictionary results

trac⋅tion

  [trak-shuhn]
Use TRACTIONAL in a Sentence
–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. attracting power or influence; attraction.
Origin:
1605–15; < ML tractiōn- (s. of tractiō) act of drawing, equiv. to tract(us), ptp. of trahere to draw + -iōn- -ion

Related forms:
trac⋅tion⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To TRACTIONAL
trac·tion   (trāk'shən)   
n.  

    1. The act of drawing or pulling, especially the drawing of a vehicle or load over a surface by motor power.

    2. The condition of being drawn or pulled.

  2. Pulling power, as of a draft animal or engine.

  3. Adhesive friction, as of a wheel on a track or a tire on a road.

  4. Medicine A sustained pull applied mechanically especially to the arm, leg, or neck so as to correct fractured or dislocated bones, overcome muscle spasms, or relieve pressure.


[Medieval Latin tractiō, tractiōn-, from Latin tractus, past participle of trahere, to pull, draw.]
trac'tion·al adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

traction 
1615, "a drawing or pulling," from M.L. tractionem (nom. tractio) "a drawing" (c.1250), noun of action from stem of L. trahere "to pull, draw" (see tract (1)). Sense of "rolling friction of a vehicle" first appears 1825.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: trac·tion
Pronunciation: 'trak-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : the pulling of or tension established in one body part by another
2 : a pulling force exerted on a skeletal structure (as in a fracture) by means of a special device or apparatus traction splint>; also : a state oftension created by such a pulling force traction>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

traction trac·tion (trāk'shən)
n.

  1. The act of drawing or pulling.

  2. A pulling force.

  3. A sustained pull applied mechanically, especially to the arm, leg, or neck, to correct fractured or dislocated bones, to overcome muscle spasms, or to relieve pressure.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see TRACTIONAL on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way