1the action of drawing or pulling something over a surface, especially a road or track:a primitive vehicle used in animal traction
motive power provided to draw or pull something, especially on a railway:the changeover to diesel and electric traction
locomotives collectively:a pent-up demand for traction and rolling stock
2the grip of a tyre on a road or a wheel on a rail:his car hit a patch of ice and lost traction
3the extent to which an idea, product, etc. gains popularity or acceptance:analysts predicted that the technology would rapidly gain traction in the corporate mobile marketif a film got a little traction, a wider release could be negotiated
4 Medicine the application of a sustained pull on a limb or muscle, especially in order to maintain the position of a fractured bone or to correct a deformity:his leg is in traction
