traffic

Universal Words noun, verb noun [U] 1 the vehicles that are on a road at a particular time: heavy / rush-hour traffic * local / through traffic * There's always a lot of traffic at this time of day. * They were stuck in traffic and missed their flight. * a plan to reduce traffic congestion * traffic police (= who control traffic on a road or stop drivers who are breaking the law) * We got used to the constant noise of the traffic. 2 the movement of ships, trains, aircraft, etc. along a particular route: transatlantic traffic * air traffic control / controllers 3 the movement of people or goods from one place to another: commuter / freight / passenger traffic * the traffic of goods between one country and another 4 ~ (in sth) illegal trade in sth: the traffic in drugs / firearms verb (-ck-) PHRASALVERBS traffic in sth to buy and sell sth illegally: to traffic in drugs / arms trafficker noun: a drugs trafficker trafficking noun [U]: to be accused of drug trafficking