Friction Meaning
/ˈfɹɪkʃən/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe rubbing of one object or surface against another.
nounA force that resists the relative motion or tendency to such motion of two bodies in contact.
Sentence Examples
Tires wear down because of friction between the rubber and the road surface.
So-called trade friction could be avoided some day.
Trade friction might arise between the two nations at any moment.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ between the tires and the road caused them to heat up.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The car's brakes use ____ to slow down the wheels and bring the entire vehicle to a safe stop.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French friction and directly from Latin frictionem, nom. frictio (“a rubbing, rubbing down”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame."
— 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
"Secondly, When a body is once in motion it will continue to move forever, unless something stops it. When a ball is struck on the surface of the earth, the friction of the earth and the resistance of the air soon stop its motion."
— 1839, Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy, page 95:
"The frictions should at first be very gentle, and performed with a view to restore heat, and not to force the blood towards the heart, which in drowned persons is already too much distended with it."
— 1792, James Curry, Observations on Apparent Death from Drowning, Suffocation:
"The frictions are made at bedtime, on a limited portion of the body, and on one side only—the calf of the leg by preference, or the thigh, groin, or axilla. It is enough to continue rubbing for from three to five minutes at most."
— 1874 January 7, M. Panas, “Treatment of Syphilis by Mercurial Friction”, in The London Medical Record, volume 1, page 5:
"Thais have been watching for signs of friction between the armed forces and the monarchy—the country's two biggest sources of political power—since the death in October of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King Vajiralongkorn's long-reigning father."
— 2017 January 14, “Thailand's new king rejects the army's proposed constitution”, in The Economist:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ between the tires and the road caused them to heat up.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The car's brakes use ____ to slow down the wheels and bring the entire vehicle to a safe stop.