taxiing

Pluraltaxiings

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   Slow ground travel by an aircraft preparing for takeoff or moving after landing.

   Like a ship moving slowly through a crowded harbor before it reaches open water.

   Ground controllers coordinate the taxiing of departing flights to avoid congestion.

   The captain announced a brief delay in taxiing due to a long line at the runway.

   Note

   Aviation treats this as a phase of operation in its own right, the stretch between gate and runway that the aircraft covers under its own power rather than being towed. The noun is usually uncountable, as in delays in taxiing. It can be counted when separate movements are meant, as in several taxiings across the field. The shorter noun taxi names the same phase.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle of taxi.

   The aircraft was taxiing to the runway when the tower issued a hold.

   Several jets were taxiing in line as the storm finally cleared.

   Note

   The -ing form keeps both letters i: taxi plus -ing, with nothing dropped. It serves both verbs spelled taxi. One is an aircraft moving on the ground under its own power, and the other is a person traveling by cab, so the jets were taxiing and we spent the evening taxiing across town are equally correct. Used as a gerund about aircraft, it shades into the aviation noun.

   We spent the whole evening taxiing between restaurants.

   Taxiing from the station turned out to be quicker than waiting for the bus.

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