Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

trafficker

 - 4 dictionary results

traf⋅fic

  [traf-ik] noun, verb, -ficked, -fick⋅ing.
Use trafficker in a Sentence
–noun
1. the movement of vehicles, ships, persons, etc., in an area, along a street, through an air lane, over a water route, etc.: the heavy traffic on Main Street.
2. the vehicles, persons, etc., moving in an area, along a street, etc.
3. the transportation of goods for the purpose of trade, by sea, land, or air: ships of traffic.
4. trade; buying and selling; commercial dealings.
5. trade between different countries or places; commerce.
6. the business done by a railroad or other carrier in the transportation of freight or passengers.
7. the aggregate of freight, passengers, telephone or telegraph messages, etc., handled, esp. in a given period.
8. communication, dealings, or contact between persons or groups: traffic between the Democrats and the Republicans.
9. mutual exchange or communication: traffic in ideas.
10. trade in some specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature: the vast traffic in narcotics.
–verb (used without object)
11. to carry on traffic, trade, or commercial dealings.
12. to trade or deal in a specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature (usually fol. by in): to traffic in opium.
Origin:
1495–1505; earlier traffyk < MF trafique (n.), trafiquer (v.) < It traffico (n.), trafficare (v.), of disputed orig.

Related forms:
traf⋅fick⋅er, noun
traf⋅fic⋅less, adjective

Synonyms:
4. See trade.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To trafficker
traf·fic   (trāf'ĭk)   
n.  

    1. The passage of people or vehicles along routes of transportation.

    2. Vehicles or pedestrians in transit: heavy traffic on the turnpike; stopped oncoming traffic to let the children cross.

    3. The commercial exchange of goods; trade.

    4. Illegal or improper commercial activity: drug traffic on city streets.

    5. The business of moving passengers and cargo through a transportation system. See Synonyms at business.

    6. The amount of cargo or number of passengers conveyed.

    7. The conveyance of messages or data through a system of communication: routers that manage Internet traffic.

    8. 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.

    1. The commercial exchange of goods; trade.

    2. Illegal or improper commercial activity: drug traffic on city streets.

    3. The business of moving passengers and cargo through a transportation system. See Synonyms at business.

    4. The amount of cargo or number of passengers conveyed.

    5. The conveyance of messages or data through a system of communication: routers that manage Internet traffic.

    6. 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.

    1. The business of moving passengers and cargo through a transportation system. See Synonyms at business.

    2. The amount of cargo or number of passengers conveyed.

    3. The conveyance of messages or data through a system of communication: routers that manage Internet traffic.

    4. 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.

    1. The conveyance of messages or data through a system of communication: routers that manage Internet traffic.

    2. 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.

intr.v.   traf·ficked, traf·fick·ing, traf·fics
To carry on trade or other dealings: trafficked in liquidation merchandise; traffic with gangsters.

[French trafic, from Old French trafique, from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare, to trade, perhaps from Catalan trafegar, to decant, from Vulgar Latin *trānsfaecāre : trāns-, trans- + faex, faec-, dregs; see feces.]
traf'fick·er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

traffic  (n.)
1505, "trade, commerce," from M.Fr. trafique (1441), from It. traffico (1323), from trafficare "carry on trade," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a V.L. *transfricare "to rub across" (from L. trans- "across" + fricare "to rub"), with the original sense of the It. verb being "touch repeatedly, handle." Or the second element may be an unexplained alteration of L. facere "to make, do." Klein suggests ultimate derivation of the It. word from Arabic tafriq "distribution." Meaning "people and vehicles coming and going" first recorded 1825. The verb is from 1542 (and preserves the original commercial sense). Traffic jam is 1917, ousting earlier traffic block (1895).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: traffic
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: traf·ficked; traf·fick·ing
intransitive verb : to carry on traffic transitive verb 1 : to travel over
2 : to engage in the trading or bartering of —traf·fick·er noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see trafficker on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way