Cab

A cab is a car or other vehicle that you pay to ride in, usually with a driver for hire, like a taxi. It can also mean the enclosed space where the driver sits in a truck or train.

Short for 'cabriolet,' a type of light, horse-drawn carriage from French 'cabriole' meaning 'leap' or 'caper.' As carriages evolved into motor vehicles, the idea of a hired vehicle carried over. The shortened form 'cab' became common in everyday speech.