Trac·tion n.
  1. The act of drawing, or the state of being drawn; as, the traction of a muscle.
  2. Specifically, the act of drawing a body along a plane by motive power, as the drawing of a carriage by men or horses, the towing of a boat by a tug.
  3. Attraction; a drawing toward. [R.]
  4. The adhesive friction of a wheel on a rail, a rope on a pulley, or the like; as, the car is stuck in the snow because it can;t get any traction.
  Angle of traction Mech., the angle made with a given plane by the line of direction in which a tractive force acts.
  Traction engine, a locomotive for drawing vehicles on highways or in the fields.
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  traction engine
       n : steam-powered locomotive for drawing heavy loads along
           surfaces other than tracks