high-friction
|haɪ-frɪk-ʃən|
🇺🇸
/ˌhaɪˈfrɪkʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌhaɪˈfrɪkʃ(ə)n/
much resistance to sliding
Etymology
'high-friction' originates from a Modern English compound of the adjective 'high' and the noun 'friction'; 'high' ultimately comes from Old English 'heah' meaning 'tall, elevated', and 'friction' comes from Latin 'frictio' (from 'fricare') meaning 'a rubbing' (via Old French 'friction').
'friction' changed from Latin 'frictio' into Old French 'friction' and then into Middle English 'friction'; 'high' evolved from Old English 'heah' into Middle English 'high' and later formed the compound 'high-friction' in modern English usage.
Initially, 'high' meant 'tall' or 'elevated' and 'friction' meant 'rubbing'; over time the compound came to mean 'having a large amount of resistance to sliding' in technical and ordinary contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or property of having high friction between contacting surfaces (often used in technical descriptions).
There is high-friction between the tire and the road in wet conditions with this tread design.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/29 15:52