Definition of stiction
:the force required to cause one body in contact with another to begin to move
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
Explore M-W
stiction was our Word of the Day on 02/02/2012. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Did You Know?
Stiction has been a part of the English language since at least 1946, when it appeared in a journal of aeronautics. The word is a combination of the st- of static ("of or relating to bodies at rest") and the -iction of friction ("the force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact"). So, basically, it means static friction (or to put it another way, as in our second example sentence, "stationary friction").
Origin and Etymology of stiction
Learn More about stiction
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up stiction? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!