/ ˈtrækʃn; NAmE / noun [ U ]
1.
the action of pulling sth along a surface; the power that is used for doing this
2.
a way of treating a broken bone in your body that involves using special equipment to pull the bone gradually back into its correct place :
He spent six weeks in traction after he broke his leg.
3.
the force that stops sth, for example the wheels of a vehicle, from sliding on the ground
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (denoting contraction, such as that of a muscle): from French , or from medieval Latin tractio(n-) , from Latin trahere draw, pull. Current senses date from the early 19th cent.