taxi
noun
a taxicab.
taxi
1 American
[tak-see]
/ ˈtæk si /
noun
taxis,
plural
taxies
plural
verb (used without object)
taxied,
taxiing,
taxying
-
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)
taxied,
taxiing,
taxying
taxi-
2
American
taxi
British
/ ˈtæksɪ /
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.
The minivan-like taxi can carry four passengers and also has more cargo space than its current vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
A 65-year-old taxi driver named Turhan Muslu told the Blick newspaper that he witnessed the attack.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Records also showed a taxi was booked to take Mills-Smith from John's house to the coach stop.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
"This is not OK. We want peace," Basharat Iqbal, a taxi driver who arrived at the station after the attack, told AFP.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
I crane my neck to see a taxi pull onto Astor Street.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
