French Conversation · Level 34
75 words
French word
traction
Pronunciation
IPA/tʁaksjɔ̃/
Meaning
- feminine nountraction
Example
La voiture a une bonne traction sur la neige.
The car has good traction on snow.
More examples
La voiture a perdu la traction en virage.
The car lost traction in a turn.
Core concept
A vehicle's tires transfer pulling force to the ground without slipping.
Common phrases
traction avant
front-wheel drive
perte de traction
loss of traction
contrôle de traction
traction control
Similar words
adhérence: The property of firm contact with the road that helps prevent slipping.
accroche: The way a tire grips the road to prevent sliding.
Definition in French
Capacité d'un véhicule ou d'un équipement à exercer une force de traction et à maintenir l'adhérence au sol.
Word origin
The French noun traction developed from Latin tractio, "drawing or pulling," from the verb trahere, "to pull."
Usage tips
- The feminine noun takes the article la, as in la traction, and its final -tion is pronounced like "syon," not like the English ending in "shun."
Other meanings
- gripnoun
Opposites
- dérapageskiddingnoun
- glissementslidingnoun
Related words
- tractertowverb
- tracteurtractornoun