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

They had hoped to hire a black cab for photographs but discovered many of the vehicles nearby were not licensed taxis.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

“By carefully choosing our location, 90% of our daily needs are within a 10-minute stroll. Otherwise, we take taxis with an average fare of $2.50 or ride Cuenca’s light rail for 17 cents.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Uber is planning to bring shared, autonomous taxis to Los Angeles later this year through a partnership with Volkswagen.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 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

Miss Brent said stiffly, "Thank you," bent her head and entered one of the taxis, the door of which the driver was holding open.

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie