noun
traction
TRAK-shun/ˈtrækʃn/
Grip enabling movement against a surface.
The bicycle tire's tread provides traction on the rough gravel.
Etymology
The underlying idea is pulling. From the action of drawing a body along a surface, traction came to mean the frictional grip between a wheel and the surface it moves over.
In context
think about the difference between walking on dry pavement versus trying to walk on a sheet of ice. That massive difference in grip, that's traction.
More examples
- My boots lose traction on the icy steps.
- Snow chains improve traction when the road is slippery.
- The proposal gains traction as more neighbors support it.
Forms
traction