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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary traf·fic \\ˈtra-fik\\ noun USAGE often attributive ETYMOLOGY Middle French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare to trade in coastal waters DATE 1549 1.
a. import and export trade
b. the business of bartering or buying and selling
c. illegal or disreputable usually commercial activity
the drug traffic2.
a. communication or dealings especially between individuals or groups
b. exchange
a lively traffic in ideas — F. L. Allen3. archaic : wares, goods 4.
a.
(1) the movement (as of vehicles or pedestrians) through an area or along a route
(2) the vehicles, pedestrians, ships, or planes moving along a route
(3) congestion of vehicles
stuck in traffic
b. the information or signals transmitted over a communications system : messages5.
a. the passengers or cargo carried by a transportation system
b. the business of transporting passengers or freight6. the volume of customers visiting a business establishment
restaurant traffic7. a concentration of participants or players and especially defensive players
force difficult shots in trafficSynonyms: see business
• • •
- the traffic will bear verb
( traf·ficked ; traf·fick·ing)
DATE 1540 intransitive verb1. to carry on traffic2. to concentrate one's effort or interest; broadly : engage , deal
a writer who often traffics in hyperboletransitive verb1.
a. to travel over
heavily trafficked highways
b. to visit (as a business establishment) as a customer
a highly trafficked book store2. trade , barter
• traf·fick·er noun traffic
traffic (n.) 1505, "trade, commerce," from M.Fr. trafique (1441), from It. traffico (1323), from trafficare "carry on trade," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a V.L. *transfricare "to rub across" (from L. trans- "across" + fricare "to rub"), with the original sense of the It. verb being "touch repeatedly, handle." Or the second element may be an unexplained alteration of L. facere "to make, do." Klein suggests ultimate derivation of the It. word from Arabic tafriq "distribution." Meaning "people and vehicles coming and going" first recorded 1825. The verb is from 1542 (and preserves the original commercial sense). Traffic jam is 1917, ousting earlier traffic block (1895). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ traffic
traf·fic / 5trAfik / noun [U]
1. the vehicles that are on a road at a particular time
路上行驶的车辆；交通:
heavy / rush-hour traffic
繁忙的/高峰时刻的交通
local / through traffic
当地/过境车辆
There's always a lot of traffic at this time of day.
每天这个时候总是有很多来往车辆。
They were stuck in traffic and missed their flight.
他们遇到了塞车,没赶上班机。
a plan to reduce traffic congestion
减少交通拥塞的计划
traffic police (= who control traffic on a road or stop drivers who are breaking the law)
交通警察
The delay is due simply to the volume of traffic.
延误完全是因为交通拥挤。
2. the movement of ships, trains, aircraft, etc. along a particular route
(沿固定路线的)航行,行驶,飞行:
transatlantic traffic
横渡大西洋的航行
air traffic control
空中交通管制
3. the movement of people or goods from one place to another
运输；人流；货流:
commuter / freight / passenger traffic
市郊间上下班运输；货/客运
the traffic of goods between one country and another
一国与另一国间的货物运输
4. the movement of messages and signals through an electronic communication system
信息流量；通信(量):
the computer servers that manage global Internet traffic
管理全球互联网通信的计算机服务器
5. ~ (in sth) illegal trade in sth
(非法的)交易,买卖:
the traffic in firearms
非法军火交易 verb (-ck-)
PHRASAL VERBS
▪ 'traffic in sth
to buy and sell sth illegally
(非法)进行…交易,做…买卖:
to traffic in drugs
买卖毒品
• traf·fick·er noun:
a drugs trafficker
毒品贩子
• traf·fick·ing noun [U] :
drug trafficking
贩毒 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishtraffic
noun 1 vehicles travelling somewhere ADJ. bad, busy, congested, heavy, thick | light | constant | fast, fast-flowing | slow-moving, sluggish | cycle, heavy goods vehicle, lorry, motor, road, vehicular, wheeled | foot, pedestrian | air, airline an air traffic controller | boat, maritime, river, sea | rail, railway | motorway | commercial, freight, goods, industrial, passenger | city, city-centre, local, town-centre, urban | international | commuter, tourist | rush-hour | holiday, summer | oncoming I stood waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic. | through Through traffic is directed around the bypass. | northbound, southbound, etc. | one-way, two-way QUANT. stream VERB + TRAFFIC generate, increase Building larger roads could generate more traffic. | cut, reduce | slow down | block, hold up, obstruct, stop, tie up Traffic was held up for six hours by the motorway blockade. | direct | divert TRAFFIC + VERB build up, thicken In the town centre, traffic was already building up as early as 3 p.m. | grow, increase Traffic has increased by 50% in ten years. | clog sth Traffic clogs the streets of the city centre. | thin Traffic thins noticeably after 9 a.m. | flow, move, speed, travel The road is being widened to keep traffic moving. | go by, pass | head We joined the traffic heading northwards on the motorway. | roar, rumble TRAFFIC + NOUN accident | hazard Sheep are a traffic hazard in the hills. | chaos, congestion, disruption, delays, hold-ups, problems, queues | fumes, pollution | noise | flow, speed Widening the road would improve traffic flow. | levels, volume | calming, management, restraint, safety | sign, signal | laws, legislation, regulations | system | offence, violation | bollard, cone, island A traffic island at the junction separates left- and right-turning vehicles. | artery (formal), route | report, survey, update | cop, officer, police, policeman, warden | engineer, planner | duty a policeman on traffic duty PHRASES the volume of traffic 2 messages, signals, etc. ADJ. radio, telephone | data, voice | network | Internet, Net, site, Web, website Our company will help you generate site traffic. VERB + TRAFFIC boost, build, generate 3 illegal buying and selling of sth ADJ. illegal | arms, drug PREP. ~ in sth the traffic in arms traffic noun ⇨ traffic (road traffic) ⇨ transport (air traffic) Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: through traffic , or the traffic will bear , or traffic block , or traffic circle , or traffic cone , or traffic cop , or traffic court , or traffic density , or traffic department , or traffic divider , or traffic engineer , or traffic engineering , or traffic island , or traffic jam , or traffic lane , or traffic management , or traffic manager , or traffic pattern , or traffic sign , or traffic signal , or traffic unit , or way traffic , or density of passenger traffic , or traffic control signal , or traffic light , or coaching traffic , or density of freight traffic
traf·ficI. \ˈtrafik, -fēk\ noun
( -s) Usage: often attributiveEtymology: Middle French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare1.
a. : commercial activity usually involving import and export trade
< nurtured by land and water traffic, it grew into a commercial center — American Guide Series: Arkansas >
b. : the activity of exchanging commodities by bartering or buying and selling
< traffic with the Indians, exchanging jewelry for horses >
< perishable and livestock traffic … consigned to other than morning markets — Farmer's Weekly (South Africa) >
< middle classes … conducting the traffic by which they live — Agnes Repplier >
< proud of his snug traffic in rich men's bonds, mortgages and deeds — Leo Marx >
c. : illegal or disreputable usually commercial activity
< a few such experiences sent him back to the narcotics traffic — Frank O'Leary >
< traffic in honors … and pardons was incessant — T.B.Macaulay >
< evidence of Red traffic in contraband arms — Wall Street Journal >
< prohibit transportation in interstate commerce for the white slave traffic — Congressional Record >2.
a. : communication or dealings between individuals or groups : intercourse , business
< held that there was no traffic between the human and the divine — John Buchan >
< realized for us in the three-hours traffic of the stage — J.I.M.Stewart >
< don't want any more traffic with his sort >
< for through our lively traffic all the day — W.H.Auden >
b. : reciprocal giving and receiving : exchange
< facilitate a lively traffic in ideas — F.L.Allen >3.
a. archaic : goods
< you'll see a draggled damsel … her fishy traffic bear — John Gay >
b. traffics plural : cargo
< move bulk traffics over long distances at reasonable speeds — P.E.Garbutt >4.
a.
(1) : the circulation (as of vehicles or pedestrians) through an area : passage to and fro
< flooring … suitable for light traffic — National Fire Codes >
< heavy lake traffic during the summer months >
(2) : the flow of vehicles, pedestrians, ships, or planes (as along a street or sidewalk or air or sea lane)
< will open a needed avenue … for passenger and freight traffic — M.M.Lilly & G.H.Kester >
< the full flood of the Christmas traffic — Compton Mackenzie >
b.
(1) : the vehicles or pedestrians moving along a route
< air and sea traffic will be notified — Science >
< construction of the building attracted the interest of sidewalk traffic >
(2) : the volume of vehicles or pedestrians moving along a route
< engineers … who tabulate the traffic — A.W.Baum >
c.
(1) : the information or signals transmitted or received over a communications system : messages
< made arrangements for an interchange of traffic with other lines — H.W.Faulkner >
(2) : the flow of messages or signals through a communications system
< radio traffic has stepped up enormously — Pat Frank >
d. : the volume of customers visiting a business establishment
< floor traffic in its showroom was up 60 percent — Newsweek >5.
a. : the number of passengers or amount of cargo carried by a transportation system
< railroads handled more traffic than in the previous peak year — E.C.Helmreich >
< oceangoing passenger traffic — Current Biography >
b. : the business of transporting passengers or freight
< proposals … to get a proper share of international air traffic — C.H.Grattan >
< plans for a resurrected river traffic — American Guide Series: Minnesota >6. : traffic department
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- the traffic will bear II. \“, esp in pres part -fək\ verbalso traf·fick \“\
( traf·ficked ; trafficked ; trafficking ; traffics also trafficks) Etymology: Middle French trafiquer, from Old Italian trafficareintransitive verb1.
a. : to engage in commercial activity : buy and sell regularly : trade
< got my living for a while by … trafficking in rabbit skins — Augusta Gregory >
< last of the impresarios … who trafficked in art in the grand manner — Bernard Simon >
b. : to engage in illegal or disreputable business or activity
< began to traffic in army promotions — Geoffrey Bruun >2. : to carry on communication or negotiation : deal , bargain
< will not traffic with the breakers of the peace — H.S.Truman >
< convinced himself … the child was trafficking with bards, or druids, or witches — W.B.Yeats >3. : to concentrate one's effort or interest : specialize
< virtuoso soloists … continue to traffic in the well-worn favorites — Lawrence Morton >
< characteristic of a medium which traffics in comedy extremes — Newsweek >4. : to pass to and fro : wander
< spilled out of their houses to laugh and traffic along its … streets — Lucy Embury >transitive verb1. : to journey over : travel
< most heavily trafficked highway in the state — American Guide Series: Vermont >
< venture to traffic them in the day, but few would risk such perilous thoroughfares by night — F.S.Merryweather >2. : to make an exchange of : trade , barter < pies and cakes being trafficked back and forth across the street — Arthur Miller >
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