Friction
/ˈfrɪkʃn/noun
A force that opposes movement between two things that are touching.
Friction between the tires and the road allows the car to stop.
Often appears as...
- reduce friction
- high friction
noun
Conflict or disagreement between people or groups.
There's a lot of friction between the two governments over trade issues.
Often appears as...
- avoid friction
- cause friction
noun
The action of rubbing one object against another.
The friction of his hands creates heat to warm the cold glass.
Often appears as...
- generate friction
- friction burn
Usage tips
Technical
noun
A force that opposes movement between two things that are touching.
Friction between the tires and the road allows the car to stop.
Often appears as...
- reduce friction
- high friction
noun
Conflict or disagreement between people or groups.
There's a lot of friction between the two governments over trade issues.
Often appears as...
- avoid friction
- cause friction
noun
The action of rubbing one object against another.
The friction of his hands creates heat to warm the cold glass.
Often appears as...
- generate friction
- friction burn
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Physical Interaction
Friction occurs when two surfaces physically interact, often when one object moves over another.
You can feel the friction when you rub your hands together.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Always Negative
While friction can cause wear, it's also essential for grip, like walking without slipping.
Shoes with good grip create enough friction to prevent falling on slippery surfaces.
Pro Tip 3/3Surface Texture
Smooth surfaces have less friction, while rough surfaces increase it.
Ice has low friction, making it hard to walk on.
Compare with
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Video examples
How I climbed a...
They'd all hiked up the normal trail on the back, which I was planning on using for my descent. But between me and the summit lay a blank slab of granite. There were no cracks or edges to hold on to, just small ripples of texture up a slightly less than vertical wall. I had to trust my life to the friction between my climbing shoes and the smooth granite. I carefully balanced my way upward,
Video examples
Rubber, Meet Road PIPE Man...
what's gonna save your life I'm using compressed air here to lower this construction up and down and this thing if you imagine it's your feet little lower down to the ground there this is a method behind my madness basically what I want to do is work out a rough idea of what we're calling the coefficient of friction and that is another way of
Video examples
Why don't perpetual...
from some external source. Even if engineers could somehow design a machine that didn't violate the first law of thermodynamics, it still wouldn't work in the real world because of the second law. The second law of thermodynamics tells us that energy tends to spread out through processes like friction.
Video examples
Why the universe seems...
would hit the ground at the same instant. And that's because in Middle World, air friction is always there. If we'd evolved in a vacuum, we would expect them to hit the ground simultaneously. If we were bacteria, constantly buffeted by thermal movements of molecules, it would be different.
Video examples
The physics of the...
As she turns, friction between her pointe shoe and the floor, and somewhat between her body and the air, reduces her momentum. So how does she keep turning? Between each turn, the dancer pauses for a split second and faces the audience. Her supporting foot flattens,
Video examples
Meet Spot, the robot dog...
But that's really only half of the story. The real story is that the computer is on one side, making suggestions to the robot, and on the other side are the physics of the world. And that physics involves gravity, friction, bouncing into things.
Video examples
Let’s put the romance...
let us value what we cannot measure let us acknowledge that the best things in life are those that are not optimized let us create things that are not only more useful also more beautiful let us design for friction not just convenience and
Video examples
The science of...
because there's too much friction between the jagged snowflakes and the ski surface. So what's happening is that as skis move, they rub the surface of the snow and warm it up, creating a thin layer of water, which helps them slide along.
Video examples
Rare Video: Japan...
directions in deep water these waves travel fast up to five hundred miles an hour but only reach a height of a few feet a passing ship might not even notice but as the waves enter shallow waters friction with the ocean floor
Video examples
A Sticky Gecko PIPE Space...
geckos textured soles to make a friction hold this after all is what stops trainers from slipping at the gym but no one can make trainers grip upside down
Video examples
How I climbed a...
They'd all hiked up the normal trail on the back, which I was planning on using for my descent. But between me and the summit lay a blank slab of granite. There were no cracks or edges to hold on to, just small ripples of texture up a slightly less than vertical wall. I had to trust my life to the friction between my climbing shoes and the smooth granite. I carefully balanced my way upward,
Video examples
Rubber, Meet Road PIPE Man...
what's gonna save your life I'm using compressed air here to lower this construction up and down and this thing if you imagine it's your feet little lower down to the ground there this is a method behind my madness basically what I want to do is work out a rough idea of what we're calling the coefficient of friction and that is another way of
Video examples
Why don't perpetual...
from some external source. Even if engineers could somehow design a machine that didn't violate the first law of thermodynamics, it still wouldn't work in the real world because of the second law. The second law of thermodynamics tells us that energy tends to spread out through processes like friction.
Video examples
Why the universe seems...
would hit the ground at the same instant. And that's because in Middle World, air friction is always there. If we'd evolved in a vacuum, we would expect them to hit the ground simultaneously. If we were bacteria, constantly buffeted by thermal movements of molecules, it would be different.
Video examples
The physics of the...
As she turns, friction between her pointe shoe and the floor, and somewhat between her body and the air, reduces her momentum. So how does she keep turning? Between each turn, the dancer pauses for a split second and faces the audience. Her supporting foot flattens,
Video examples
Meet Spot, the robot dog...
But that's really only half of the story. The real story is that the computer is on one side, making suggestions to the robot, and on the other side are the physics of the world. And that physics involves gravity, friction, bouncing into things.
Video examples
Let’s put the romance...
let us value what we cannot measure let us acknowledge that the best things in life are those that are not optimized let us create things that are not only more useful also more beautiful let us design for friction not just convenience and
Video examples
The science of...
because there's too much friction between the jagged snowflakes and the ski surface. So what's happening is that as skis move, they rub the surface of the snow and warm it up, creating a thin layer of water, which helps them slide along.
Video examples
Rare Video: Japan...
directions in deep water these waves travel fast up to five hundred miles an hour but only reach a height of a few feet a passing ship might not even notice but as the waves enter shallow waters friction with the ocean floor
Video examples
A Sticky Gecko PIPE Space...
geckos textured soles to make a friction hold this after all is what stops trainers from slipping at the gym but no one can make trainers grip upside down
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Denis Villeneuve
Canadian Director
In Quebec, as women were getting more power, there were the men who agreed with that and the men who were afraid. I think most men are willing to share power with women, but there's fear. Every time you change something, there's a friction.
Quote examples
Tim Cook
American Businessman
To me, this is the perfect marriage. There's no friction. There's just, we have what they need, they have what we need. And so IBM is in the process, with our help, of designing many different apps for many different verticals.
Quote examples
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
German Politician
Today, our world is more interconnected than ever. This offers many opportunities; it creates wealth and new freedoms. Yet our world is also vulnerable, full of friction points and conflicts of interest.
Quote examples
Jonathan Van Ness
American Entertainer
Leaving your hair down to sleep causes friction on your ends between your body heat and the pillow case. Securing the ends away from your body helps preserve your ends.
Quote examples
Mariella Frostrup
British Journalist
Every friendship goes through ups and downs. Dysfunctional patterns set in; external situations cause internal friction; you grow apart and then bounce back together.
Quote examples
Bettany Hughes
Economic, political and military intervention following the first world war is frequently blamed for current friction between east and west.
Quote examples
Alexander Skarsgard
Swedish Actor
We are civilized human beings, but we're all animals deep down, and that creates a certain friction in all of us.
Quote examples
Gillian Tans
American Businesswoman
From our earliest days, Booking.com has been deploying technology to help strip the friction out of travel.
Quote examples
Frances E. Willard
American Activist
The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.
Quote examples
Pankaj Mishra
Indian Novelist
If your writing collides with the conventional wisdom, there's going to be some kind of friction.
Quote examples
Denis Villeneuve
Canadian Director
In Quebec, as women were getting more power, there were the men who agreed with that and the men who were afraid. I think most men are willing to share power with women, but there's fear. Every time you change something, there's a friction.
Quote examples
Tim Cook
American Businessman
To me, this is the perfect marriage. There's no friction. There's just, we have what they need, they have what we need. And so IBM is in the process, with our help, of designing many different apps for many different verticals.
Quote examples
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
German Politician
Today, our world is more interconnected than ever. This offers many opportunities; it creates wealth and new freedoms. Yet our world is also vulnerable, full of friction points and conflicts of interest.
Quote examples
Jonathan Van Ness
American Entertainer
Leaving your hair down to sleep causes friction on your ends between your body heat and the pillow case. Securing the ends away from your body helps preserve your ends.
Quote examples
Mariella Frostrup
British Journalist
Every friendship goes through ups and downs. Dysfunctional patterns set in; external situations cause internal friction; you grow apart and then bounce back together.
Quote examples
Bettany Hughes
Economic, political and military intervention following the first world war is frequently blamed for current friction between east and west.
Quote examples
Alexander Skarsgard
Swedish Actor
We are civilized human beings, but we're all animals deep down, and that creates a certain friction in all of us.
Quote examples
Gillian Tans
American Businesswoman
From our earliest days, Booking.com has been deploying technology to help strip the friction out of travel.
Quote examples
Frances E. Willard
American Activist
The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.
Quote examples
Pankaj Mishra
Indian Novelist
If your writing collides with the conventional wisdom, there's going to be some kind of friction.
Example 1 of 10
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