What does "traction" mean?
Traction: 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.
Additional senses
- 2.Attraction; a drawing toward. [R.]
- 3.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.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00