Tribology - What's that?

Although tribology is part of every electro-mechanical machinery made by mankind and tribological aspects like friction and wear were subjects of many observations and studies during the last centuries, it was fairly recently recognised as a science. This was mainly driven by the fact that large energy savings were possible by optimising the interaction of two relative to each other moving surfaces, improving the surface roughness, topography as well as the lubricant in between. (Definition of Tribology since 1966: H. P. Jost, Oxford English Dictionary)

The tribology is the branch of science and technology concerned with interacting surfaces in relative motion, friction, wear and lubrication.