traffic

traf|fic¹ W2S1 [ˈtræfık] n [U]

[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Early French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare 'to trade']

1.) the vehicles moving along a road or street

▪ The traffic noise kept me awake.

▪ There wasn't much traffic on the roads.

▪ They must have got caught in rush-hour traffic .

▪ We were stuck in heavy traffic (=a large amount of traffic) for more than an hour.

▪ plans to help ease traffic congestion in the city

▪ We believe that the plans will increase the volume of traffic (=the amount of traffic) .

2.) the movement of aircraft, ships, or trains from one place to another

▪ air traffic control

▪ the problems of air traffic congestion in Europe

3.) formal the movement of people or goods by aircraft, ships, or trains

traffic of

▪ Most long-distance traffic of heavy goods is done by ships.

4.) the secret buying and selling of illegal goods

▪ drugs traffic

traffic in

▪ traffic in firearms

traffic ²

traffic² v past tense and past participle trafficked present participle trafficking

traffic in [traffic in sth] phr v

to buy and sell illegal goods

▪ Lewis was found guilty of trafficking in drugs.