| back road |
a road that avoids traffic and high speed travel. It is often a small, country road that goes through areas with few houses and buildings. |
| back up |
of traffic, to become so slow that vehicles form long lines behind each other with little space between each vehicle. [2/8 definitions] |
| blinker |
a flashing light, esp. one used on a vehicle to indicate the direction of a turn, or one used as a traffic signal. [1/2 definitions] |
| blockade |
the shutting off of traffic into and out of a place. Military forces do this to seaports or cities during wars. [1/2 definitions] |
| bumper-to-bumper |
of automobile traffic, closely packed and usu. slow-moving. |
| control tower |
a tower at an airport. Air traffic is directed by radios in the control tower. |
| crawl |
to move very slowly or with frequent stops, as a vehicle in heavy traffic. [1/7 definitions] |
| crossing guard |
a person who directs traffic and helps children to cross the streets around a school. |
| dual carriageway |
(chiefly British) a highway divided by a strip of land, with two lanes on either side used by traffic moving in opposite directions; divided highway. |
| elevated railway |
a railway that is elevated on a framework, permitting ground traffic to circulate beneath it. |
| exit ramp |
a short roadway that angles or curves off from a major highway, allowing cars to exit the highway without stopping or slowing traffic. |
| expressway |
a highway with many lanes and few stops that lets traffic move quickly. |
| freeway |
a long, wide public road with no stop signs or traffic lights. Vehicles may travel at high speeds on freeways. |
| gatekeeper |
a person who supervises the passage of traffic through a gate. |
| green light |
the green-colored light that signifies that oncoming traffic has the right of way. [1/2 definitions] |
| gridlock |
a traffic jam in which no vehicles can move in any direction because key streets are blocked by traffic. |
| interchange |
a highway juncture in which different road levels are used to permit vehicles to move from one road to another without disturbing the flow of traffic. [1/5 definitions] |
| jaywalk |
to walk across a street in a place or at a time that is against traffic laws. |
| lane |
a marked route for traffic going in one direction, as for a line of cars on a highway or for a single swimmer or runner in a race. [1/4 definitions] |
| limited jurisdiction |
the authority of a court to hear and decide only certain types of cases, such as those regarding bankruptcy, traffic violations, or family disputes. |
| live load |
any variable weight added to the intrinsic weight of a structure, such as people in a building or moving traffic on a bridge. (Cf. dead load.) |