Tractions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition of being drawn or pulled; the ability to grip or adhere, particularly for tires or surfaces; a method of therapeutic treatment for spinal issues using tension and force applied to the body
2. The action of pulling or drawing something; the quality that allows tires or shoes to maintain grip on surfaces; a medical technique employing tension to relieve pressure on the spine
3. An instance of pulling something towards another; a characteristic allowing for effective grip on various surfaces; a technique used in medicine involving the application of force to align bones or relieve discomfort

Etymology: "Tractions" is simply the plural of "traction," so its story is really the story of the singular. The word traces back to Latin "trahere," meaning "to pull," and its past participle "tractus," meaning "drawn" or "pulled." Medieval Latin then formed "tractio," a noun meaning the act of pulling, by adding the suffix "-io," which turns a verb's stem into a noun of action. The word's meanings have spread in the direction its root suggests. Its original sense is the physical act of drawing something along, and the surgical and mechanical senses still follow that idea of force applied to move something. The sense of grip on a road or tyre is a later extension of the same pulling force, since good traction is the friction that lets a wheel pull a vehicle forward. The plural form simply names several such instances or kinds of pulling force at once.

Synonyms: pulls, grips

Antonyms: releases, slips