from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Traction \Trac"tion\, n. [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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
3. Attraction; a drawing toward. [R.]
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4. The adhesive friction of a wheel on a rail, a rope on a
pulley, or the like; as, the car is stuck in the snow
because it can;t get any traction. --Knight.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
{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.
[1913 Webster]