traffic n.
1. a. The passage of people or vehicles along routes of transportation. b.Vehicles or pedestrians in transit: heavy traffic on the turnpike; stopped oncoming traffic to let the children cross.
2. a.The commercial exchange of goods; trade. b.Illegal or improper commercial activity: drug traffic on city streets.
3. a.The business of moving passengers and cargo through a transportation system. See Synonyms at business. b.The amount of cargo or number of passengers conveyed.
4. a.The conveyance of messages or data through a system of communication: routers that manage Internet traffic. b.Messages or data conveyed through such a system: a tremendous amount of telephone traffic on Mother's Day; couldn't download the file due to heavy Internet traffic.
5.Social or verbal exchange; communication: refused further traffic with the estranged friend.
traffic intr.v.
To carry on trade or other dealings: trafficked in liquidation merchandise; traffic with gangsters.
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[French trafic, from Old French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare, to trade, perhaps from Catalan trafegar, to decant, from Vulgar Latin *trnsfaecreÊ: trns-, trans- + faex, faec-, dregs; see feces.]
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