Tribology is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as:

"The study of friction, wear and lubrication; the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion".

Tribology, a term coined in 1966, is briefly described as the ‘Science and technology of interacting surfaces in a state of relative motion and the practices thereto’. This very broad scope embraces in detail the processes of friction, lubrication and wear in all mechanical contact situations. Tribologists are concerned with optimum machine design and maintenance leading to improvement in service life, safety and reliability. A successful tribological approach is critical to the economics and operational reliability of industrial manufacture and processing.