taxis
1 Americannoun
plural
taxes-
arrangement or order, as in one of the physical sciences.
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Biology. oriented movement of a motile organism in response to an external stimulus, as toward or away from light.
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Surgery. the replacing of a displaced part, or the reducing of a hernia or the like, by manipulation without cutting.
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Architecture. the adaptation to the purposes of a building of its various parts.
noun
combining form
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indicating movement towards or away from a specified stimulus
thermotaxis
-
order or arrangement
phyllotaxis
noun
-
the movement of a cell or organism in a particular direction in response to an external stimulus
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surgery the repositioning of a displaced organ or part by manual manipulation only
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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 • Apr. 1, 2026
The pilot programs announced include air taxis in New York, New Jersey, and other states, cargo transport in Louisiana, and medical transport in North Carolina, among other projects.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
In February, Joby announced plans to launch commercial flights in Dubai by the end of the year, allowing passengers to book air taxis through the Uber app.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
Like most hotels on the Strip, you have to walk through the casino to reach the rooms, but here rideshares and taxis share the same pickup location, which makes coming and going much easier.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
Outside were cabs and taxis and a line of hotel runners.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
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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.