traffic cone

noun

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Definition of traffic cone

: a conical marker used on a road or highway (as for indicating an area under repair)

See traffic cone defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of traffic cone from the Web

Nope, not another traffic cone: Monarch butterflies are in their high summer mating and reproductive stages, and Chicago, placed squarely in the center of their migratory range, is enjoying the annual upsurge in sightings of the beloved butterfly.

— cindy dampier, chicagotribune.com, "Why Chicago might be the best place to save the monarch butterfly," 13 July 2018
Most denied were the 81 claims arising from hitting traffic cones or barrels.

— kevin spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "I-4 construction nightmares: Drivers seeking payment for car damage face daunting odds," 13 July 2018
Orange traffic cones will be popping up along 16 miles of Interstate 88 between Oak Brook and Naperville as repair work on pavement, ramps and bridges gets under way this week and continues through the end of the year.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Road and ramp repairs on I-88 between Naperville and Oak Brook start this week," 10 July 2018
While sidewalks on the north side of Broward Boulevard are already finished, the road’s south side is lined by orange traffic cones and patches of dirt.

— meryl kornfield, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Brightline train stations boost new development in South Florida's downtowns," 3 July 2018
The show was held on a patch of astroturf enclosed by Tiffany-blue traffic cones, and if the rooftop hadn’t been shrouded in mist that night, there would’ve been a clear view of Central Park and Fifth Avenue’s row of luxury flagships.

— dan adler, Vanities, "A$AP Ferg Shuts Down Tiffany’s," 1 June 2018
The perimeter around the sinkhole, two traffic cones with some caution tape, was expanded to a larger enclosure with orange safety fencing over the weekend.

— betsy klein, CNN, "Let it sink in: The White House sinkhole is no more," 29 May 2018
The hole appears to be just outside the office of White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley and has been roped off with caution tape and traffic cones by groundskeepers.

— megan mccluskey, Time, "A Sinkhole Has Been Spotted on the White House Lawn and the Metaphors Write Themselves," 22 May 2018
The woman was caught on video driving slowly thorough a barrier of traffic cones and into the path of the runners, even as one of them started pushing on her car’s hood in a failed attempt to stop her, SWNS reports.

— gary gastelu, Fox News, "Angry woman caught driving her car into path of half marathon," 22 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'traffic cone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of traffic cone

1953

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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TRAFFIC CONE Defined for English Language Learners

traffic cone

noun

Definition of traffic cone for English Language Learners

: a brightly colored plastic cone that is placed on a road to warn drivers not to drive too close to an area where work is being done, an accident has occurred, etc.