Dictionary

traffic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹæfɪk/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio
• trăf'ĭk

Etymology

From Middle French trafique, traffique (“traffic”), from Italian traffico (“traffic”) from trafficare (“to carry on trade”). Potentially from Vulgar Latin *trānsfrīcāre (“to rub across”); Klein instead suggests the Italian has ultimate origin in Arabic تَفْرِيق (tafrīq, “distribution, dispersion”), reshaped to match the native prefix tra- (“trans-”). The adjectival sense is possibly influenced by Tagalog trapik and follows a general trend in Philippine English to construct a noun from an adjective.

Meanings

1. (Philippines) Congested.
   • It’s super traffic here in Manila.

Forms

traffic en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹæfɪk/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio
• trăf'ĭk

Etymology

From Middle French trafique, traffique (“traffic”), from Italian traffico (“traffic”) from trafficare (“to carry on trade”). Potentially from Vulgar Latin *trānsfrīcāre (“to rub across”); Klein instead suggests the Italian has ultimate origin in Arabic تَفْرِيق (tafrīq, “distribution, dispersion”), reshaped to match the native prefix tra- (“trans-”). The adjectival sense is possibly influenced by Tagalog trapik and follows a general trend in Philippine English to construct a noun from an adjective.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) Moving pedestrians or vehicles, or the flux or passage thereof.
   • VVhoſe miſaduentures, piteous ouerthrovves, / (Through the continuing of their Fathers ſtrife, / And death-markt paſſage of their Parents rage) / Is novv the tvvo hovvres traffique of our Stage. c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], “The Prologue”, in […] Romeo and Juliet. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, published 1597, →OCLC:
   • The traffic is slow during rush hour.
2. (uncountable, usually) The commercial transportation or exchange of goods, or the movement of passengers or people.
   • Its units of study are regions or oceans, long-distance trades [...], the traffic of cults and beliefs between cultures and continents. 2007, John Darwin, After Tamerlane, Penguin, page 12:
   • I had three large axes, and abundance of hatchets (for we carried the hatchets for traffic with the Indians). 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC:
   • To assume that the recent investigation of the white slave traffic (and, by the way, a very superficial investigation) has discovered anything new, is, to say the least, very foolish 1910, Emma Goldman, “The Traffic in Women”, in Anarchism and Other Essays:
3. (uncountable, usually) A flow of customers for a store or restaurant.
   • Sales are down due to a decline in store traffic.
4. (uncountable, usually) The illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs.
   • They, in turn, had long dominated the drug traffic in the area of north-east Afghanistan that they controlled during the Taliban years. 2018 January 9, Alfred W. McCoy, “How the heroin trade explains the US-UK failure in Afghanistan”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
5. (uncountable, usually) The exchange or flux of information, messages or data, as in a computer or telephone network.
   • The parish stank of idolatry, abominable rites were practiced in secret, and in all the bounds there was no one had a more evil name for the black traffic than one Alison Sempill, who bode at the Skerburnfoot. 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
   • Internet traffic to legal pornography sites in the UK comprised 8.5% of all "clicks" on web pages in June – exceeding those for shopping, news, business or social networks, according to new data obtained exclusively by the Guardian. 2013 July 26, Charles Arthur, “Porn sites get more internet traffic in UK than social networks or shopping”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
6. (uncountable, usually) The exchange or flux of information, messages or data, as in a computer or telephone network. ▸ Of CB radio, formal written messages relayed on behalf of others.
7. (uncountable, usually) The exchange or flux of information, messages or data, as in a computer or telephone network. ▸ The amount of attention paid to a particular printed page etc., in a publication.
   • Those fixed locations which are sold to advertisers become preferred according to the expected page traffic. 1950, Advertising & Selling (volume 43, part 2, page 53)
8. (uncountable, usually) The commodities of the market.
   • You'll see a draggled damsel / From Billingsgate her fishy traffic bear. 1716, John Gay, Trivia, or The Art of Walking the Streets of London:

Forms

Deriveds

traffic officer · trafficky · mall traffic · traffic violation · traffic shaping · traffic warden · way-traffic · byway open to all traffic · air traffic controller · narcotraffic · trafficless · traffic cone · traffic calming · traffic stopper · traffic of influence · traffic island · centralised traffic control · go play in the traffic · go and play in the traffic · traffic boy · nontraffic · air traffic control · cybertraffic · go with the flow of traffic · trafficator · trafficway · traffic barrel · traffic barrier · traffic-light · dark traffic · 5 o'clock traffic · traffic conference area · traffic light · traffic-free · foot traffic · non-traffic · traffic lead · air traffic · traffic cop · traffic signal box · traffic garden · traffic beam · teletraffic · stop traffic · traffic mile · traffic stop · traffic engineering · traffic generator · traffic police · brain traffic · trafficwise · traffic jam · traffic court · traffic code · traffic signal · felony traffic stop · traffic circle · go play in traffic · traffic furniture · traffic park · antitraffic · through traffic · traffic ticket · traffic advisory · traffic leash · mixed-traffic · intertraffic · traffic enforcer · traffic drum · traffic sign · traffic bump · traffic spikes · go and play in traffic · advanced traffic management · traffic paddle

Synonyms

travel · trafficking

Translations (198)

cy traffig (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ru тра́фик (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ti ትራፊክ (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hi तस्करी (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · sh prómet (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · da trafik (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sv samfärdsel (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hy երթեւեկություն (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sco traffec (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ba хәрәкәт (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · cmn 交通 (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · uz harakat (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ca contraban (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · sq trafik (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · lt eismas (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fi liikenne (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · ur ٹَرافِک (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fr circulation (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sv illegal handel (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · la commercium (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · fa-ira تِرافیک (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · he תְּנוּעָה (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ko 트래픽 (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · gd trafaig (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fr traite (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ro trafic (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · km ចរាចរ (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · nl handel (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · nl zwarte handel (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ca tràfic (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ru движе́ние (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · he סחר (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · pl komunikacja (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · pl ruch drogowy (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · th จราจร (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pt trata (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · de Personenverkehr (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · da færdsel (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · is viðskipti (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · it traffico (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · sco traffeck (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · sv trafficking (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ur سَودا (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · it tratta (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · uk тра́фік (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hi आवागमन (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · lv satiksme (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · nl verkeer (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · mr रहदारी (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ba юл хәрәкәте (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hi यातायात (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hy երթևեկություն (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ca tràfic (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · ug قاتناش (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fi liikenne (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · tt хәрәкәт (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · be рух (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · uk рух (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pt tráfego (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · be га́ндаль (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · es circulación (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · vi giao thông (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · io trafiko (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · it traffico (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · scn curtigghiu (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · et liiklus (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ro circulație (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ja 交通 (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · tt юл хәрәкәте (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hu forgalom (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · scn tràficu (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pt tráfico (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · cs doprava (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ka მოძრაობა (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · be тра́фік (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ja 取引 (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · sco traffec (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ota تجارت (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · tg ҳаракат (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · mk соо́браќај (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · mi whitirau (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · bg търго́вия (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · az hərəkət (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hi संपर्क (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · sl promet (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fr trafic (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · id lalu lintas (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · de Verkehr (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · uz yoʻl harakati (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sco traffeck (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · eu trafiko (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ca circulació (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sk doprava (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · uk тра́фік (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · yue 交通 (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ms trafik (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sco traffeck (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · la transitus (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · he עומס (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ja トラフィック (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · de Verkehr (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · hi परिवहन (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · it traffico (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · az yol hərəkəti (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · kk қозғалыс (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · tr seyrüsefer (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hi संवाद (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ga trácht (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · bg движе́ние (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ro circulație rutieră (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sh про́мет (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · hi ट्रैफ़िक (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ms lalu lintas (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ja 交信 (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ru торго́вля (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · be тра́фік (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · nrf trafi (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pt tráfego (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · nl verkeer (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · is umferð (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · cs provoz (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · bn ট্র্যাফিক (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pt trânsito (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · nb trafikk (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sv handel (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · yi פֿאַרקער (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · vi sự giao thông (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ur آمد و رفت (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ru тра́фик (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · it viabilità (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · yi אומגאַנג (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · bar Vakea (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · sh sȁobraćāj (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · scn tràficu (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ro trafic (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sco traffec (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · gl tráfico (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · nn trafikk (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · bar Vakea (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pl komunikacja (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · nn ferdsel (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · tl trapiko (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pl ruch uliczny (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fi salakauppa (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ml ഗതാഗതം (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ar مُرُور (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ko 교신 (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · sh prómet (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · de Verkehr (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · scn tràficu (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · es trata (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ky кыймыл (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · es tráfico (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · bar Vakea (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · hi ट्रैफिक (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ru торго́вля (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · sco traffec (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · eo trafiko (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · mk соо́браќај (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · cmn 交易 (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · fa-ira تَرَدُّد (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pt tráfego (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · sh са̏обраћа̄ј (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · hi परिवहन (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sv trafik (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sv trafik (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ko 교통 (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · am ትራፊክ (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · de Warenverkehr (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · fr trafic (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fi mustapörssi (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ja 取引 (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · es tránsito (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · mk про́мет (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · sh про́мет (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · fi kauppa (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · nl verkeer (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · hy երթևեկում (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · cmn 流量 (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · my အသွားအလာ (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · sco traffeck (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · uk торгі́вля (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · fa-ira عُبور و مُرور (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · tr trafik (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · bg тра́фик (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ota تجارت (commercial transportation or exchange of goods) · de Datenverkehr (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · eo ŝakrado (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · fi tietoliikenne (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · ca trànsit (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · scn tràficu (exchange or flux of information, messages or data) · lo ຈາລະຈອນ (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · nb ferdsel (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · ur ٹْرَیفِک (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · bg незако́нна търго́вия (illegal trade or exchange of goods, often drugs) · ta திரக்கு (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · pt trânsito (pedestrians or vehicles on roads or on the air) · yi פֿאַרקער (commercial transportation or exchange of goods)

traffic en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹæfɪk/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (General-American) audio
• trăf'ĭk

Etymology

From Middle French trafique, traffique (“traffic”), from Italian traffico (“traffic”) from trafficare (“to carry on trade”). Potentially from Vulgar Latin *trānsfrīcāre (“to rub across”); Klein instead suggests the Italian has ultimate origin in Arabic تَفْرِيق (tafrīq, “distribution, dispersion”), reshaped to match the native prefix tra- (“trans-”). The adjectival sense is possibly influenced by Tagalog trapik and follows a general trend in Philippine English to construct a noun from an adjective.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods.
2. (intransitive) To trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain.
3. (transitive) To exchange in traffic; to effect by a bargain or for a consideration.
   • A Libyan longing took us, and we would have chosen, if we could, to bear a strand of grotesque beads, or a handful of brazen gauds, and traffic them for some sable maid with crisp locks, whom, uncoffling from the captive train beside the desert, we should make to do our general housework forever, through the right of lawful purchase. 1912, The World's Wit and Humor, page 176:

Forms

Deriveds

trafficable · trafficking · trafficability · trafficker · sex-traffic · sex trafficking

Synonyms

trade

Translations (14)

hu üzérkedik (to trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain) · hu üzletel (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods) · hu csempész (to exchange in traffic; to effect by a bargain or for a consideration) · bg търгувам незаконно (to trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain) · hu illegálisan kereskedik (to trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain) · hi व्यापार (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods) · grc ἐμπορεύομαι (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods) · he סחר (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods) · hu kereskedik (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods) · fi käydä kauppaa (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods) · la nūndinor (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods) · fi tinkiä (to trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain) · es traficar (to trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain) · bg продавам (to pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods)