siping

siping
 n.— «For extra traction, there’s an alternative to snow tires, a process called siping. Scott Willey of Willey’s Tire Shop in Marquette says, “It’s a process where we take a machine that puts extra cuts in the tire. It adds 40 percent better traction to the tire on hard-packed snow, and 20 percent better on ice. It also improves the wear because it keeps the tire cooler.”» —“There Is A Cheaper Alternative To Buying Snow Tires” in Marquette WLUC-TV (Negaunee, Michigan) Oct. 16, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)