Traffic: v. tr. (etymology: word from Italian trafficare, borrowed from Catalan traffic "To transfer", from a Latin transfaecare "Purify", family of faex « Burgundy ». 1. Engage in various manipulations on (an object, a product), with a view to deceiving the goods (falsifying). To tamper with a wine (adulterate). Used car whose engine has been tampered with (tinker). 2. Make (something more or less mysterious). What are you up to? (manufacture). 3. Trafficking in…, buying and selling, making illicit profits.