What does cab mean?
A cab is a vehicle that carries paying passengers, most commonly understood today as a taxi — a car driven by someone who transports people for a fare, whether flagged down on the street, summoned by phone or app, or waiting at a designated rank. The word also has an older technical sense: the enclosed compartment at the front of a truck, locomotive, or crane where the operator sits. As a term, cab is informal but entirely standard in both British and American English, often appearing in phrases such as 'hail a cab', 'take a cab', and 'cab fare'. It traces back through the French 'cabriole' to Latin 'capreolus', meaning wild goat — a nod to the light, springing motion of early horse-drawn cabs. Its related form 'cabbie' refers informally to the driver.
A taxicab: a vehicle with a driver available for hire to carry passengers.
"He caught a cab on Fifth Avenue and rode downtown."
The enclosed driver's compartment of a truck, locomotive, or similar vehicle.
"The engineer sat in the locomotive's cab monitoring the controls."
To travel by taxi (usually as 'cab it').
"Let's cab it to the restaurant instead of walking in this rain."
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'cab it'; rare otherwise.
Regular plural; used for multiple taxis or multiple vehicle compartments.
"Three cabs were lined up outside the station."
The word 'cab' comes from the French 'cabriole', named for the way a cabriolet carriage seemed to leap like a goat when pulled at speed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cab
Cab derives from the French 'cabriole' and its diminutive 'cabriolet', a light two-wheeled carriage popular in Paris in the early 19th century. The name ultimately traces to Latin 'capreolus' (wild goat), reflecting the carriage's springy, leaping ride. English adopted 'cabriolet' in the 1820s–1830s and shortened it to 'cab' as motorized taxis replaced horse-drawn versions.
Related word forms
How cab is actually used
'Cab' is informal but universally understood in both British and American English; 'taxi' is slightly more neutral. The phrase 'cab it' means to travel by taxi rather than another mode.
Easily confused with cab
A cab is a hired vehicle, while a cabana is a tent-like shelter beside a pool or beach.