traffic Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming and going in a particular locality during a specified period of time
  2. noun buying and selling; especially illicit trade
  3. noun the amount of activity over a communication system during a given period of time
    • heavy traffic overloaded the trunk lines
    • traffic on the internet is lightest during the night
  4. noun social or verbal interchange (usually followed by `with')
    dealings.
  5. verb deal illegally
    • traffic drugs
  6. verb trade or deal a commodity
    • They trafficked with us for gold

WordNet

Traf"fic intransitive verb
Etymology
F. trafiquer; cf. It. trafficare, Sp. traficar, trafagar, Pg. traficar, trafegar, trafeguear, LL. traficare; of uncertain origin, perhaps fr. L. trans across, over + -ficare to make (see -fy, and cf. G. übermachen to transmit, send over, e. g., money, wares); or cf. Pg. trasfegar to pour out from one vessel into another, OPg. also, to traffic, perhaps fr. (assumed) LL. vicare to exchange, from L. vicis change (cf. Vicar).
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Trafficked ; present participle & verbal noun Trafficking
Definitions
  1. To pass goods and commodities from one person to another for an equivalent in goods or money; to buy or sell goods; to barter; to trade.
  2. To trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain.
Traf"fic transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To exchange in traffic; to effect by a bargain or for a consideration.
Traf"fic noun
Etymology
Cf. F. trafic, It. traffico, Sp. tráfico, tráfago, Pg. tráfego, LL. traficum, trafica. See Traffic, v.
Definitions
  1. Commerce, either by barter or by buying and selling; interchange of goods and commodities; trade.
    A merchant of great traffic through the world. Shak.
    The traffic in honors, places, and pardons. Macaulay.
    ✍ This word, like trade, comprehends every species of dealing in the exchange or passing of goods or merchandise from hand to hand for an equivalent, unless the business of relating may be excepted. It signifies appropriately foreign trade, but is not limited to that.
  2. Commodities of the market. R.
    You 'll see a draggled damsel From Billingsgate her fishy traffic bear. Gay.
  3. The business done upon a railway, steamboat line, etc., with reference to the number of passengers or the amount of freight carried.

Webster 1913