taxi
1 Americannoun
plural
taxis, taxiesverb (used without object)
-
to ride or travel in a taxicab.
-
(of an airplane) to move over the surface of the ground or water under its own power.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to cause (an aircraft) to move along the ground under its own power, esp before takeoff and after landing, or (of an aircraft) to move along the ground in this way
-
(intr) to travel in a taxi
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of taxi
1905–10, short for taxicab
Explanation
Running late? Call a taxi. A taxi is a car you hire to drive you somewhere. In some big cities, all you have to do is raise your hand and yell "taxi!" and a taxi will pull up next to you. You can also refer to a taxi as a cab or a taxicab. Most taxis are cars, although boats for hire are sometimes also called taxis. As a verb, taxi describes what airplanes do when they move very slowly on a runway. Officially, taxi is short for taximeter cab, as they were originally named at the turn of the 20th century. Today the taximeter, which records distance and fare, is usually just called a meter.
Vocabulary lists containing taxi
Flying High: Aviation Words
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 1
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Unit 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Taxi drivers in the greater Athens area have threatened to launch an indefinite strike in the near future if their demands are not met.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
Locally, Sly & Robbie founded an influential label, Taxi Records, in 1980 and performed in the house band at Jamaica’s formidable Channel One studio.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026
Taxi driver Inuujuk Petersen, waiting in line to fill his car with gas, said he never imagined that Greenland would come under threat from a foreign nation, let alone the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
He visited Normandy many times through trips organised by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, and received the Légion d'honneur, France's highest military honour, in 2021 in recognition of his service.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025
“Hey,” she said, “Gray Sisters Taxi is the fastest way to camp.”
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.