taxicab

taxicab
/tak"see kab'/, n.
a public passenger vehicle, esp. an automobile, usually fitted with a taximeter.
[1905-10; TAXI(METER) + CAB]

* * *

      chauffeur-driven automobile available for hire to carry passengers between any two points within a city or its suburbs for a fare determined by a meter or zone system or a flat rate. The taxicab is named after the taximeter, an instrument invented by Wilhelm Bruhn in 1891 that automatically recorded the distance traveled and/or the time consumed, thus enabling the fare to be accurately measured. The term cab derives from the cabriolet, a two-wheeled, one-horse carriage often let out for hire.

      The development of modern taxicabs closely parallels that of automobiles. The first motorized taxicabs were electric-powered vehicles that began appearing on the streets of European and American cities in the late 1890s. Internal combustion-powered taxicabs equipped with taximeters first appeared around 1907 and have dominated taxi travel ever since. Most modern taxis are four-door passenger cars that are especially fitted for taxicab service and provided with modifications designed to withstand the more severe service requirements of taxi operation. Such modifications include reinforced auto-body frames, heavier springs and shock absorbers in the suspension system, and more reliable engine charging. In some cities, such as London, taxicab design must meet legally approved specifications.

      Taxicab firms may be organized in any of three ways. They may have regular employees who drive cabs owned by the company; they may use lessees, or independent contractors, who lease cabs from a company and pay a regular fee for the use of the vehicle; or they may consist of owner-drivers, who drive vehicles which they themselves own.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • taxicab — ax i*cab, n. an automobile with a professional driver which can be hired to carry passengers; also called a {taxi}, and informally called a {cab} or a {hack}. The driver of a taxicab is referred to as a {cab driver} or {cabbie}, and sometimes as… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • taxicab — ► NOUN ▪ a taxi …   English terms dictionary

  • taxicab — ☆ taxicab [tak′sēkab΄ ] n. [< taxi(meter) cab] an automobile in which passengers are carried for a fare …   English World dictionary

  • Taxicab — Taxi cab redirects here. For the song by The Naked Brothers Band, see Taxi Cab (Naked Brothers Band song). For specific countries, see Taxicabs by country. Taxicab in Bogotá s downtown …   Wikipedia

  • taxicab — UK [ˈtæksɪˌkæb] / US noun [countable] Word forms taxicab : singular taxicab plural taxicabs formal a taxi …   English dictionary

  • taxicab — [[t]tæ̱ksikæb[/t]] taxicabs also taxi cab N COUNT A taxicab is the same as a taxi. [mainly AM] Syn: cab …   English dictionary

  • taxicab — такси occupants of a taxicab пассажиры такси …   English-Russian travelling dictionary

  • Taxicab geometry — versus Euclidean distance: In taxicab geometry all three pictured lines (red, blue, and yellow) have the same length (12) for the same route. In Euclidean geometry, the green line has length 6×√2 ≈ 8.48, and is the unique shortest path …   Wikipedia

  • Taxicab Confessions — is a long running series of hidden camera documentaries that have aired on HBO since January 1995. In segments taped in New York City and Las Vegas, the taxi drivers are also producers who steer both the vehicle and the conversations with… …   Wikipedia

  • Taxicab-Zahl — In der Mathematik ist die n te Taxicab Zahl definiert als die kleinste (natürliche) Zahl, die sich auf n verschiedenen Arten als Summe zweier Kubikzahlen darstellen lässt. Godfrey Harold Hardy und E. M. Wright haben 1954 bewiesen, dass es für… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”