Traf"fic , n. [Cf. F. trafic, It. traffico,
Sp. tráfico, tráfago, Pg.
tráfego, LL. traficum, trafica. See Traffic, v.]
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. &fist;
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.
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.
Traf"fic , v. t. To exchange in traffic; to effect by a bargain or for a consideration.
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.
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).] 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.
Hear it pronounced