traffic island

traf·fic is·land
US, UK/ˌtɹæfɪk ˈaɪlənd/

noun

A raised or otherwise marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded, so as to direct the traffic flow and provide a safe place for pedestrians to wait while crossing the road.

Similar
safety islandpedestrian islandpedestrian refugerefugerefuge islandsafety islesafety zone
First used early 20th c.
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Meanings

nountraffic island (plural traffic islands)

plural traffic islands

  1. UKroadA raised or otherwise marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded, so as to direct the traffic flow and provide a safe place for pedestrians to wait while crossing the road.First known use early 20th c.

    Synonyms: safety island, pedestrian island, pedestrian refuge, refuge, refuge island

  2. obsoleterarerail transportAn area where rail traffic is low.First known use late 19th c.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA raised or otherwise marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded, so as to direct the traffic flow and provide a safe place for pedestrians to wait while crossing the road.

Similar
safety islandpedestrian islandpedestrian refugerefugerefuge island

More synonyms by meaning

nouna curbed area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded; provides safe area for pedestrians

Similar
safety islandsafety islesafety zone
Broader
island
Also see
safety island

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From traffic (noun) + island (noun).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian транспортен остров
  • транспортен остров (transporten ostrov)raised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Catalan mitjana
  • mitjanaraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Chinese Mandarin 交通島 /交通岛
  • 交通島 /交通岛 (jiāotōngdǎo)raised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Czech refýž
  • refýžraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Dutch verkeersheuvel, vluchtheuvel
  • verkeersheuvelraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • vluchtheuvelraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Esperanto trafikinsulo
  • trafikinsuloraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Estonian ohutussaar
  • ohutussaarraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Finnish liikenteenjakaja
  • liikenteenjakajaraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
French îlot, îlot directionnel
  • îlotraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • îlot directionnelraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • terre-pleinraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
German Verkehrsinsel
  • Verkehrsinselraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Icelandic umferðareyja
  • umferðareyjaraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Indonesian pulau jalan, pulau lalu lintas
  • pulau jalanraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • pulau lalu lintasraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Irish oileán tráchta
  • oileán tráchtaraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Italian spartitraffico
  • spartitrafficoraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Malay pulau lalu lintas, pulau pembahagi lalu lintas
  • pulau lalu lintasraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • pulau pembahagi lalu lintasraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Norwegian Bokmål trafikkøy
  • trafikkøyraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Polish azyl, wysepka
  • azylraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • wysepkaraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Russian острово́к безопа́сности
  • острово́к безопа́сности (ostrovók bezopásnosti)raised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Spanish bandejón, camellón
  • bandejónraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • camellónraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • medianaraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Turkish orta kaldırım, refüj
  • orta kaldırımraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
  • refüjraised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded
Ukrainian острів руху
  • острів руху (ostriv ruxu)raised or marked area in a roadway from which traffic is excluded

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with traffic island

islandhighlandHylandBeef IslandBooby IslandBuck IslandCaille IslandCaledonia IslandCalivigny IslandCapella IslandCapstan IslandCarrera IslandCatholic IslandCockroach IslandCooper IslandCraig IslandCronstadt IslandCulpepper IslandDead Chest IslandDiamond IslandDog IslandEast Seal Dog IslandEustatia IslandFallen Jerusalem Island
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

traffic island. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traffic%20island

MLA

“traffic island.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traffic%20island. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “traffic island,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traffic%20island.

Source: traffic island on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.