means A car you hire, usually with a driver and a running meter, to take you somewhere in exchange for a fare.

from Short for 'taxicab,' itself a squashing of 'taximeter cabriolet.' The 'cab' end goes back to 'cabriolet,' a light French carriage whose bouncing ride was likened to a goat's leap (Latin 'capra,' goat). The 'taxi' end comes from 'taximeter,' the device that tallies the fare, built from French 'taxe' (tariff) and Greek 'metron' (measure) — so the word literally means 'the goat-carriage that measures your charge.' It caught on in the early 20th century as metered motor-cabs hit city streets.