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traffic

traf·fic

traffic

 
 
pronunciation:
trae fihk
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word History, Word Builder, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition: moving vehicles along a road or path.
Traffic on the road was busy this morning.
similar words:
movement, passage, transport, transportation
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivations: trafficless (adj.), trafficker (n.)
Word History
Traffic comes from an Italian word that means "to carry on trade." By 1825, the word "traffic" was being used for people or vehicles coming and going along a road.
Word Builder: traffic +
  • traffic cop:
    a police officer whose job is to direct traffic.
  • traffic jam:
    a large number of vehicles in a road that causes traffic to slow or stop.
  • traffic light:
    a box with three lights near a road. The red light means vehicles must stay in place. The yellow light means vehicles must stop. The green light means vehicles may move forward.
Word Explorer
See
  city