cab
1[ kab ]
/ kæb /
noun
a taxicab.
any of various horse-drawn vehicles, as a hansom or brougham, especially one for public hire.
the covered or enclosed part of a locomotive, truck, crane, etc., where the operator sits.
the glass-enclosed area of an airport control tower in which the controllers are stationed.
verb (used without object), cabbed, cab·bing.
to ride in a taxicab or horse-drawn cab: They cabbed to the theater.
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Origin of cab
1First recorded in 1640–50; short for cabriolet
Definition for cab (2 of 4)
cab
2or kab
[ kab ]
/ kæb /
noun
an ancient Hebrew measure equal to about two quarts.
Origin of cab
2First recorded in 1525–35, cab is from the Hebrew word qabh
Definition for cab (3 of 4)
Definition for cab (4 of 4)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for cab
British Dictionary definitions for cab (1 of 3)
cab
1/ (kæb) /
noun
- a taxi
- (as modifier)a cab rank
the enclosed compartment of a lorry, locomotive, crane, etc, from which it is driven or operated
(formerly) a light horse-drawn vehicle used for public hire
first cab off the rank Australian informal the first person, etc, to do or take advantage of something
Word Origin for cab
C19: shortened from cabriolet
British Dictionary definitions for cab (2 of 3)
cab
2kab
/ (kæb) /
noun
an ancient Hebrew measure equal to about 2.3 litres (4 pints)
Word Origin for cab
C16: from Hebrew qabh container, something hollowed out
British Dictionary definitions for cab (3 of 3)
CAB
abbreviation for
(in Britain) Citizens' Advice Bureau
(in the US) Civil Aeronautics Board
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for cab
cab
1826, "light, horse-drawn carriage," shortening of cabriolet (1763), from French cabriolet (18c.), diminutive of cabrioler "leap, caper" (16c./17c.), from Italian capriolare "jump in the air," from capriola, properly "the leap of a kid," from Latin capreolus "wild goat, roebuck," from PIE *kap-ro- "he-goat, buck" (cf. Old Irish gabor, Welsh gafr, Old English hæfr, Old Norse hafr "he-goat"). The carriages had springy suspensions.
Extended to hansoms and other types of carriages, then extended to similar-looking parts of locomotives (1851). Applied especially to public horse carriages, then to automobiles-for-hire (1899) when these began to replace them.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper