Traffic/ˈtræfɪk/ Definition 1 of 5Pro Tip 1/3Not Always Cars Traffic can refer to the movement of people or animals, not just vehicles. The foot traffic in the mall is higher on weekends. Pro Tip 2/3Context Matters Traffic's meaning changes with context; rush hour refers specifically to busy transportation times. Morning rush hour traffic causes delays. Pro Tip 3/3Describing Density Use adjectives like heavy, light, or gridlocked to describe the volume and movement of traffic. The traffic was gridlocked for hours.