traffic cop
6
2.4
- noun
- /ˈtræfɪk kɑp/
- US
:
agente de tráfico
- An off-duty traffic cop was there and pulled him back at the last second.
- play traffic cop
- traffic cop stopping
- become a traffic cop
The second thing was during the trial there was a witness who was very important, who was a traffic cop who was in a kiosk real near the square.
- The second thing was during the trial there was a witness who was very important, who was a traffic cop who was in a kiosk real near the square.
- So you've seen Jamie Hyneman dressed as a traffic cop, white gloves and all.
Examples
-
As the parade approached, the traffic cop expertly managed the flow of traffic to keep everyone safe.
-
I saw him waving his hands at the traffic cop, who didn't meet his eye, shrugged, and began to write a ticket.
Fiction book (2001) -
The traffic cop told us your daughter had passed him.
Fiction book (1994) -
Well, your lady traffic cop out there had the signals against me.
-
Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop.
Fiction book (1998) -
In my opinion, there should be a traffic cop set up at that intersection to stop the speeding.
Blog text (33) -
Just past Broadview, we got pulled over by a traffic cop.
Fiction book (2000) -
Yamada called in a traffic cop to write him a ticket for illegal parking.
Fiction book (1995) -
Traffic cops had shifted the movable barriers on Canal Street to let them through.
Fiction book (2001) -
While directing vehicles at the intersection, the traffic cop waved to signal the cars to stop.
Synonyms
A police officer at an intersection who directs traffic
A policewoman who directs traffic at an intersection
How Strict
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and predictably derived from combining 'traffic' (flow/volume of vehicles) with 'cop' (police officer) — i.e. a police officer who manages traffic. This straightforward noun+noun composition is cross-linguistically common and would be immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the two constituents.
Etymology
Traffic cop comes from the simple picture of a cop standing in the road, using hand signals to control traffic. So, the phrase means 'someone who directs traffic'.