taxi
/ˈtaksi
/noun (plural taxis)
1A motor vehicle licensed to transport passengers in return for payment of a fare and typically fitted with a taximeter: I’ll take a taxi from the air terminal [as modifier]: a taxi driver wanted five dollars to drive me to my hotel...
- Licensed taxi drivers are not allowed to refuse a smoking passenger although they may request passengers not to smoke.
- But it was not until her husband Merrick, a taxi driver, returned from work around midnight that police were alerted.
- After receiving payment, the taxi driver pulls to the left and executes a U-turn, and hits a motorcycle coming the other direction.
1.1A boat or other means of transportation used in the same way as a taxi: they took a motor-boat taxi to the end of the Grand Canal...
- Even if you don't fancy the idea of living in a rock house without windows just a few feet from the ocean, Moonhole is well worth a visit either by dinghy or taxi.
- That evening they'll hire a taxi boat and go exploring.
- When Patch got out of the taxi at docking port forty-two the next morning, he was dressed in a pair of slacks, a nice shirt and tie.
1.2(In South Africa) a light vehicle, especially a minibus, transporting passengers along a fixed route for a set fare but not operating to a timetable.Sir, presently, I have noticed that many operators of mini buses, taxis and buses do not maintain and submit books of accounts and hence do not pay appropriate tax....
- At present, the City collects user fees from minibus taxi and bus operators.
- A man died and six passengers were severely injured when a car and a minibus taxi collided here on Wednesday night.
verb (taxis or taxies, taxiing, taxied) [no object, with adverbial of direction]
1(Of an aircraft) move slowly along the ground before take-off or after landing: the plane taxied to a halt at the terminal...
- Airplanes taxiing for takeoff, for instance, must wait for departing aircraft to take off, or for landing aircraft to arrive and clear the runway.
- Glinting in the pinkish sunlight, the aircraft taxied slowly across the busy airport and took off on schedule 25 minutes later.
- The ground crew then refit the pogos so the aircraft can taxi back to the hangar.
1.1 [with object] (Of a pilot) cause (an aircraft) to taxi: he taxied the plane to the very end of the airstrip...
- Unable to gain enough power to take off, the two airmen taxied the aircraft 15 miles back to Azuzeyih.
- A No.75 Squadron pilot taxies a Hornet out on to the runway at RAAF Base Tindal for a mission during Exercise Aces North.
- Use caution in taxiing retractable-gear aircraft through slush or mud.
2Take a taxi as a means of transport: I would taxi home and sleep till eight...
- After a public transport nightmare, we swallowed our pride and taxied across the French countryside to Chenonceau for the real castle deal.
Origin
Early 20th century: abbreviation of taxicab or taximeter cab (see taximeter).