cab

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈkab  ˈkäb 

: an ancient Hebrew unit of capacity equal to about two quarts (2.2 liters)

cab

2 of 5

noun (2)

ˈkab 

1

a(1)

: cabriolet

(2)

: a similar light closed carriage (such as a hansom)

b

: a carriage for hire

2

: taxicab

3

a

: the part of a locomotive that houses the engineer and operating controls

b

: a comparable shelter (as on a truck) housing operating controls

cab

3 of 5

verb

cabbed; cabbing

intransitive verb

: to travel in a cab

cabbed back to the hotel

cab

4 of 5

noun (3)

ˈkab 

variants often Cab

: cabernet sauvignon

CAB

5 of 5

abbreviation

Civil Aeronautics Board

Synonyms of cab

Noun (2)

• taxi

Examples of cab in a Sentence

Noun (2)

called a cab to get back to the hotel

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For the next few days, instead of a blaring alarm clock and taxi cab horns, I am awoken by the deep belly laughter of hippos who live in the lagoon directly outside my door. —Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

Set and shot in Lagos, Nigeria, the film follows the eponymous Lady, a fiercely independent young cab driver, who dreams of escaping the unforgiving city for a peaceful existence living on the coast in Freetown, Sierra Leone. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026

Verb

The neighborhood/area The hotel’s stretch of A1A isn’t the most interesting so most guests opt to either keep to the property’s upscale amenities, cab it to South Beach (which is 15 minutes away), or go north to the chichi enclaves of Surfside and Bal Harbour for shopping and dining. —Sara Liss, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026

The starting price for the 3500 chassis cabs $49,285 including delivery charge, about $1,700 less than the 2024 model. —Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Hebrew qabh

Noun (2)

short for cabriolet; (sense 3) probably short for cabin entry 1

Verb

derivative of cab entry 2

Noun (3)

by shortening

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1535, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1831, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cab

• ab
• crab
• dab
• drab
• fab
• gab
• grab
• jab
• lab
• mab
• nab
• rab

Kids Definition

cab

noun

ˈkab

1

a

: a light closed carriage (as a hansom)

b

: a carriage for hire

2

: taxicab

3

a

: the covered compartment for the engineer and the controls of a locomotive

b

: a similar compartment on a truck, tractor, or crane

Etymology

Noun

sense 1 from French cabriolet "a one-horse carriage"; sense 2 a shortened form of taxicab