traction

Etymology

From Medieval Latin tractio, from Latin tractus, perfect passive participle of verb trahere (“pull”), + noun of action suffix -io (genitive -ionis).

noun

1. The act of pulling something along a surface using motive power.
2. The condition of being so pulled.
3. Grip.
4. The pulling power of an engine or animal.
5. The adhesive friction of a wheel etc on a surface.
6. (usually after forms of gain, get or have) Progress in or momentum toward achieving a goal, especially in gaining support, recognition, or popularity.
   1. (business) The extent of adoption of a new product or service, typically measured in number of customers or level of revenue achieved.
   2. (politics) Popular support.
   3. (academia) Scholarly interest and research.
      Despite this somewhat late start, the field of study has gained great traction globally, and since 2015 has even had its own journal: Linguistic Landscape: An International Journal. 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 2
7. (medicine) A mechanically applied sustained pull, especially to a limb.
8. (transport) Collectively, the locomotives of a railroad, especially electric locomotives.

verb

1. (medicine, transitive) To apply a sustained pull to (a limb, etc.).