1. The act of rubbing the surface of an object against that of another; especially rubbing the limbs of the body to aid the circulation. 2. The force required for relative motion of two bodies that are in contact. [L. frictio, fr. frico, to rub]
- dynamic f. the force that must be overcome to maintain steady motion of one body relative to another because they remain in contact. Cf.:starting f..
- starting f. the force that must be overcome to initiate the motion of one body relative to another because they have been resting in contact. Cf.:dynamic f.. SYN: static f..
- static f. SYN: starting f..
* * *
fric·tion (frikґshən) [L. frictio] 1. the act of rubbing; attrition. 2. massage using a circular or back-and-forth rubbing movement, used especially for massage of deep tissues.Medical dictionary. 2011.