traction

Everyday

1. Traction is the grip that stops a wheel, shoe or tyre from slipping on a surface. tree →
2. Traction is the pulling force used to move something along, like an engine pulling a train. tree →
3. In hospital, traction is a set of weights and pulleys that gently pulls a broken bone or injured back into the right place. tree →
4. (informal) An idea or plan gains traction when more and more people start to support it. tree →

In the lessons

In science it comes with friction and forces: rough surfaces give more traction, ice and wet leaves give less. In safety talk it explains grippy shoes, winter tyres and why cars skid. In everyday talk «gain traction», «get traction», «lose traction». In stories it tells the reader whether a character can move steadily or is slipping.

Examples

• My trainers have good traction on the gym floor. tree →
• The car lost traction on the icy road and slid. tree →
• Put sand on the ice to give the wheels more traction. tree →
• Steam engines gave the traction that pulled the first trains. tree →
• After the fall, Grandad's leg was in traction for two weeks. tree →
• The idea of a longer lunch break gained traction with the whole class. tree →
• Mud gives bike tyres very little traction. tree →

Note

Uncountable: say «good traction», not «a traction». Close to «grip» and linked to «friction» in science. Comes from Latin «trahere», to pull (like «tractor»).