traffic cop

American  

noun

Informal.

• traffic cops
  plural

1. a police officer who directs the flow of traffic, usually at an intersection.

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traffic cop British  

noun

1. informal a policeman who supervises road traffic

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• traffic cops
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of traffic cop

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

traffic cop

A decade ago, he played traffic cop to an intrasquad rivalry between Hamilton and his German teammate Nico Rosberg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Five Scottish tries in the bag, a 27-point lead on the board and Finn Russell directing his players around the pitch with the authority of the world's greatest traffic cop.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025

“He was a traffic cop tonight,” Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

The FAA is going to have to be the traffic cop here, and it’s not going to make the airlines happy.

From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2023

At the final turn, I see Mrs. Morehouse standing in the entrance to the parking lot, her palm out like a traffic cop, keeping cars from pulling in.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

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