traffic stop

noun

A temporary detention of a driver of a vehicle and its occupants by police to investigate a possible crime or a minor violation of the law.

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Meanings

nountraffic stop (plural traffic stops)

plural traffic stops

  1. automotiveA temporary detention of a driver of a vehicle and its occupants by police to investigate a possible crime or a minor violation of the law.

Origin

From traffic + stop.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

traffic stop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traffic%20stop

MLA

“traffic stop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traffic%20stop. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “traffic stop,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traffic%20stop.

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