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traction

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trac⋅tion

  [trak-shuhn]
Use traction 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.
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Traction San Francisco
Thought-provoking advertising that commands attention and gets results
www.tractionco.com
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Science Dictionary
traction   (trāk'shən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Static friction, as of a wheel on a track or a tire on a road. See more at friction.

  2. 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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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