taxis

¹ American  

[tak-sis] / ˈtæk sɪs /

noun

plural

taxes

1. arrangement or order, as in one of the physical sciences.

2. Biology. oriented movement of a motile organism in response to an external stimulus, as toward or away from light.

3. Surgery. the replacing of a displaced part, or the reducing of a hernia or the like, by manipulation without cutting.

4. Architecture. the adaptation to the purposes of a building of its various parts.

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taxis ² American  

[tak-seez] / ˈtæk siz /

noun

1. a plural of taxi.

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-taxis ³ American  

1. a combining form representing taxis1 in compound words.

   heterotaxis.

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-taxis ¹ British  

combining form

1. indicating movement towards or away from a specified stimulus

   thermotaxis

2. order or arrangement

   phyllotaxis

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taxis ² British  

/ ˈtæksɪs /

noun

1. the movement of a cell or organism in a particular direction in response to an external stimulus

2. surgery the repositioning of a displaced organ or part by manual manipulation only

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Other Word Forms

• -tactic combining form

Etymology

Origin of taxis

1720–30; < New Latin < Greek táxis, equivalent to tak- (base of tássein to arrange, put in order) + -sis -sis

Example Sentences

In December 2025, a large power outage in San Francisco led Waymo taxis to stop working around the city, causing huge traffic jams.

From BBC

“Nah, I’m good,” I reply as the plane taxis to the runway.

From Literature

"There are colleagues who have been here for four hours," said Emmanuel Gedeon Nzunzi, who drives one of the motorcycle taxis that are essential in the overcrowded and congested city of around 17 million people.

From Barron's

As I grow closer, signs of life become apparent: a mix of horse-drawn and horseless taxis out in the front, passengers rushing in or strolling out.

From Literature

They had been staying in a hotel for two years, paying cash for their room under a false name and using taxis and public transport to avoid detection.

From BBC