protraction

noun

pro·​trac·​tion prō-ˈtrak-shən 

prə-

1

: the act of protracting : the state of being protracted

2

: the drawing to scale of an area of land

Examples of protraction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The protraction and retraction of the shoulder blades can also ease soreness from wearing a backpack. — Ingrid Yang Md, Outside Online, 29 May 2025

But all of these things are additional protraction of the litigation. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022

Moreover, time continues to be of the essence as the protraction of the negotiations complicate the talks. — Mostafa Salem, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022

The sculpture had become, after all these years, about the protraction of the human foot and the celestial head. — New York Times, 26 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French, "pulling forward, extension, delay," borrowed from Late Latin prōtractiōn-, prōtractiō "extension, lengthening, postponement," from Latin prōtrac-, variant stem of prōtrahere "to drag forward, draw or pull out, bring into the open, prolong, defer" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at protract

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for protraction

• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction
• inaction
• infraction

Medical Definition

protraction

noun

pro·​trac·​tion -ˈtrak-shən 

1

: the act of moving an anatomical part forward

2

: the state of being protracted

especially : protrusion of the jaws