traffic

traf·fic

 (trăf′ĭk)n.1.

a. The passage of people or vehicles along routes of transportation.

b. Vehicles or pedestrians in transit: heavy traffic on the turnpike; stopped oncoming traffic to let the children cross.

2.

a. The commercial exchange of goods; trade.

b. Illegal or improper commercial activity: drug traffic on city streets. See Synonyms at business.3.

a. The business of moving passengers and cargo through a transportation system.

b. The amount of cargo or number of passengers conveyed.

4.

a. The conveyance of messages or data through a system of communication: routers that manage internet traffic.

b. Messages or data conveyed through such a system: a tremendous amount of telephone traffic on Mother’s Day; couldn’t download the file due to heavy internet traffic.

c. The number of users or visitors, as at a website: attempted to increase traffic with a redesigned homepage.

5. Social or verbal exchange; communication: refused further traffic with the estranged friend.

v. traf·ficked, traf·fick·ing, traf·fics

intr.v.

To carry on trade or other dealings: trafficked in liquidation merchandise; traffic with gangsters.

tr.v.

To provide to others, especially in large quantities, in exchange for money: was accused of trafficking guns to local gangs.

[French trafic, from Old French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare, to trade, perhaps from Catalan trafegar, to decant, from Vulgar Latin *trānsfaecāre : trāns-, trans- + faex, faec-, dregs; see feces.]

traf′fick·er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

traffic

(ˈtræfɪk) n1.

a. the vehicles coming and going in a street, town, etc

b. (as modifier): traffic lights.

2. the movement of vehicles, people, etc, in a particular place or for a particular purpose: sea traffic.

3. (Commerce)

a. the business of commercial transportation by land, sea, or air

b. the freight, passengers, etc, transported

4. (usually foll by with) dealings or business: have no traffic with that man.

5. (Commerce) trade, esp of an illicit or improper kind: drug traffic.

6. (Telecommunications) the aggregate volume of messages transmitted through a communications system in a given period

7. (Commerce) chiefly US the number of customers patronizing a commercial establishment in a given time period

vb (intr) , -fics, -ficking or -ficked

8. (Commerce) (often foll by in) to carry on trade or business, esp of an illicit kind

9. (usually foll by with) to have dealings

[C16: from Old French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare to engage in trade]

ˈtrafficker n

ˈtrafficless adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

traf•fic

(ˈtræf ɪk)

n., v. -ficked, -fick•ing. n.

1. the movement of vehicles, ships, aircraft, persons, etc., in an area or over a route.

2. the vehicles, persons, etc., moving in an area or over a route.

3. the transportation of goods for the purpose of trade, by sea, land, or air: ships of traffic.

4. trade; buying and selling; commercial dealings.

5. trade between different countries or places; commerce.

6. the business done by a railroad or other carrier in the transportation of freight or passengers.

7. the aggregate of freight, passengers, telephone or telegraph messages, etc., handled, esp. in a given period.

8. communication, dealings, or contact between persons or groups.

9. mutual exchange or communication: traffic in ideas.

10. trade in some specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature: drug traffic.

v.i.

11. to carry on traffic, trade, or commercial dealings.

12. to trade or deal in a specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature (usu. fol. by in): to traffic in opium.

[1495–1505; earlier traffyk < Middle French trafique (n.), trafiquer (v.) < Italian traffico (n.), trafficare (v.)]

traf′fick•er, n.

traf′fic•less, adj.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

traffic

• filter lane – The lane of traffic reserved for those making a specific turn at the next junction.
• reverse commute – To travel to work opposite of the normal rush of traffic.
• traffic calming – The deliberate slowing of traffic in residential areas, with speed bumps or other obstructions.
• traffic – Can only be traced to Italian traffico and trafficare, “trade,” but that is all that is known.

Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

Traffic

 merchandise transported from place to place; the movement of vehicles; lumber; trash; rubbish, 1628; the rabble.

Examples: traffic of faculties, 1633; of honour, 1702; of omnibuses, cabs, carriages, and carts, 1886.

Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

traffic

You use traffic to refer to all the vehicles moving along a road.

In many areas rush-hour traffic lasted until 11am.

Traffic is an uncountable noun. Don’t talk about ‘traffics’ or ‘a traffic’.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

traffic

Past participle: trafficked
Gerund: trafficking

ImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast Conditional

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

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