The grip or friction between a surface and the object moving on it, which prevents slipping; also, the act of pulling something, especially in medicine or mechanics.
It comes from Latin 'tractio', from 'trahere' meaning 'to pull' or 'drag'. The sense of gripping a surface is a later development from the idea of being pulled along.
We talk about 'getting traction' for ideas, as if public opinion were a slippery road and good arguments were tires with better grip. The physical world of wheels and ropes quietly shapes how we picture success and failure.
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