From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
traffic
n 1: the aggregation of things (pedestrians or vehicles) coming
and going in a particular locality during a specified
period of time
2: buying and selling; especially illicit trade
3: 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: social or verbal interchange (usually followed by `with')
[syn: dealings, traffic]
v 1: deal illegally; "traffic drugs"
2: trade or deal a commodity; "They trafficked with us for gold"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Traffic \Traf"fic\, v. t.
To exchange in traffic; to effect by a bargain or for a
consideration.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Traffic \Traf"fic\, n. [Cf. F. trafic, It. traffico, Sp.
tr['a]fico, tr['a]fago, Pg. tr['a]fego, LL. traficum,
trafica. See Traffic, v.]
1. Commerce, either by barter or by buying and selling;
interchange of goods and commodities; trade.
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A merchant of great traffic through the world.
--Shak.
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The traffic in honors, places, and pardons.
--Macaulay.
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Note: 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.
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2. Commodities of the market. [R.]
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You 'll see a draggled damsel
From Billingsgate her fishy traffic bear. --Gay.
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3. The business done upon a railway, steamboat line, etc.,
with reference to the number of passengers or the amount
of freight carried.
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Traffic return, a periodical statement of the receipts for
goods and passengers, as on a railway line.
Traffic taker, a computer of the returns of traffic on a
railway, steamboat line, etc.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Traffic \Traf"fic\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Trafficked; p. pr. &
vb. n. Trafficking.] [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. ["u]bermachen
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).]
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.
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2. To trade meanly or mercenarily; to bargain.
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