Meanings
plural taxicab distances
- countableuncountablegeometryThe distance between two points on a grid, where the only path allowed is along horizontal and vertical lines.
The taxicab distance between (0,0) and (3,4) is 7.
Synonyms: blockwise distance, city block distance, Manhattan distance, taxi distance
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe distance between two points on a grid, where the only path allowed is along horizontal and vertical lines.
Origin
From taxicab + distance, referring to the route taken by a taxi through a grid of intersecting streets.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish korttelietäisyys
- korttelietäisyysdistance between two points on a grid, where the path is along horizontal and vertical lines
French distance de Manhattan
- distance de Manhattandistance between two points on a grid, where the path is along horizontal and vertical lines
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with taxicab distance
Cite this entry
taxicab distance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taxicab%20distance
“taxicab distance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taxicab%20distance. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “taxicab distance,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taxicab%20distance.
Source: taxicab distance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.