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

Even the oldest maxim about cab drivers and bell hops giving share prices was tested by relating an anecdote about comments in his village pub from locals and complete strangers firing questions at him and a fellow gold trader about the gold price. —Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Above roughly 125 mph, lineside signals are no longer visible enough for safe reaction, so operators use in-cab systems that provide continuous updates on speed limits and track conditions. —Ben Jones, CNN Money, 26 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