taxicab

taxicab , noun

Taxicabs may be engaged by a prior appointment made, for example by telephone, or they may cruise for passengers, that is they may drive in city streets and stop to pick up pasengers when they are signalled by a prospective passenger. The act of signalling a taxicab (usually by a wave of the arm) is often called to hail a cab or to flag down a cab.

an automobile with a professional driver which can be hired to carry passengers; -- also called a taxi, and informally called a cab or a hack. The driver of a taxicab is referred to as a cab driver or cabbie, and sometimes as a chauffeur or hackie.