traffic circle

noun

1. a circular arrangement constructed at the intersection of two or more roads in order to facilitate the passage of vehicles from one road to another.

traffic circle

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): roundabout. a road junction in which traffic streams circulate around a central island

Word History and Origins

Origin of traffic circle¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The plan, featuring small models on a map, shows the arch sitting on a traffic circle near Arlington Cemetery, on the other side of the Potomac River from the white marble Lincoln Memorial.

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All day and all night, people drive through the traffic circle entrance to campus, beeping their horns - either supporting or in opposition to Kirk.

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As part of last year’s restoration, the city also installed bollards at the entrances to Plaza Park, changed the lighting and modified the entrances of the traffic circle to deter vehicles from speeding.

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The traffic circle where Columbus long lent his presence has now been renamed the Women Who Fight roundabout, a rallying point for Indigenous, feminist and other protesters hoisting handwritten placards.

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When you reach the traffic circle at Vineyard Drive, about 4.6 miles west of Highway 101, you may be tempted to wander off on Vineyard for a few miles of low-speed bucolic splendor.

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Related Words

• roundabout