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

Etymology

Origin of traffic cop

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

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

Two: Madeleine Westerhout, who was basically the sort of traffic cop in the White House, sitting right outside the Oval Office, trying to direct what was happening.

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2024

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

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

“Right,” she continued, marching this way and that across the living room and waving her hands about like a traffic cop directing her thoughts and words.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos