(orthopedics) the act of pulling on a bone or limb (as in a fracture) to relieve pressure or align parts in a special way during healing; "his leg was in traction for several days"
(mathematics, logic) such that the arguments or roles can be interchanged; "the arguments of the symmetric relation, `is a sister of,' are interchangeable"
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each; "he made a bargain with the devil"; "he rose to prominence through a series of shady deals"
an advantageous purchase; "she got a bargain at the auction"; "the stock was a real buy at that price"
a Gestalt principle of organization holding that (other things being equal) objects or events that are near to one another (in space or time) are perceived as belonging together as a unit
for or by a group rather than individuals; "dipping each his bread into a communal dish of stew"- Paul Roche; "a communal settlement in which all earnings and food were shared"; "a group effort"
relating to a small administrative district or community; "communal elections in several European countries"
American silversmith remembered for his midnight ride (celebrated in a poem by Longfellow) to warn the colonists in Lexington and Concord that British troops were coming (1735-1818)