attrition vs traction

attrition

verb
  • To grind or wear down through friction. 

  • To reduce the number of (jobs or workers) by not hiring new employees to fill positions that become vacant (often with out). 

  • To undergo a reduction in number. 

noun
  • A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 

  • Grinding down or wearing away by friction. 

  • Imperfect contrition or remorse. 

  • The gradual reduction in a tangible or intangible resource due to causes that are passive and do not involve productive use of the resource. 

  • The loss of participants during an experiment. 

  • The wearing of teeth due to their grinding. 

  • The loss of a first or second language or a portion of that language. 

traction

verb
  • To apply a sustained pull to (a limb, etc.). 

noun
  • The condition of being so pulled. 

  • The extent of adoption of a new product or service, typically measured in number of customers or level of revenue achieved. 

  • Popular support. 

  • A mechanically applied sustained pull, especially to a limb. 

  • Collectively, the locomotives of a railroad, especially electric locomotives. 

  • The act of pulling something along a surface using motive power. 

  • The pulling power of an engine or animal. 

  • Grip. 

  • Scholarly interest and research. 

  • The adhesive friction of a wheel etc on a surface. 

How often have the words attrition and traction occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )