Short for 'cabriolet,' a bouncy carriage named from Latin 'caper' (goat) — the cab leapt along like a goat.
A taxi; a horse-drawn vehicle for hire.
Short for 'cabriolet,' from French 'cabrioler' (to leap like a goat), from Italian 'capriolare,' from 'capriolo' (roebuck), from Latin 'caper' (goat). The light two-wheeled carriage was named for its bouncy, goat-like ride. Key roots: caper (Latin: "goat").
A taxi cab is a leaping goat. 'Cab' is short for 'cabriolet,' a bouncy carriage named for its goat-like ride (from Latin 'caper,' goat). The same root gives us 'caper' (a playful leap), 'caprice' (a goat-like whim), and 'Capricorn' (goat-horned). So 'cab' → 'cabriolet' → 'caprioler' → 'goat.' You're hailing a goat every time you call a taxi.