Other forms: frictions
Friction is the rubbing force that slows sliding things and warms your hands. Reduce friction, friction burn, air friction.
It resists motion between surfaces and turns the lost energy into heat, which is why brakes get hot and why rubbing your hands warms them. Static friction is higher than sliding friction, which is why something is hardest to start moving. Figuratively, friction means tension between people: friction in the team. Note frictionless, which in business writing means requiring no effort.
1nounfrictionThe rubbing force that resists sliding.
“Rub your hands together, and the friction will warm them up.”
2nountensionTension between people.
“There was some friction between the new manager and the older staff.”
friction is a resisting force.
Latin frictio comes from fricare, to rub. Friction, dentifrice and the French frotter come from the same rubbing.
Latin
frictionem
Middle French
friction
English, today
friction
Built from
From Middle French friction and directly from Latin frictionem, nom. frictio (“a rubbing, rubbing down”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Science & Space