tax

n. [ F. taxe, fr. taxer to tax, L. taxare to touch, sharply, to feel, handle, to censure, value, estimate, fr. tangere, tactum, to touch. See Tangent, and cf. Task, Taste. ] 1. A charge, especially a pecuniary burden which is imposed by authority. Specifically: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

(a) A charge or burden laid upon persons or property for the support of a government. [ 1913 Webster ]

A farmer of taxes is, of all creditors, proverbially the most rapacious. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) Especially, the sum laid upon specific things, as upon polls, lands, houses, income, etc.; as, a land tax; a window tax; a tax on carriages, and the like. Taxes are annual or perpetual, direct or indirect, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) A sum imposed or levied upon the members of a society to defray its expenses. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A task exacted from one who is under control; a contribution or service, the rendering of which is imposed upon a subject. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A disagreeable or burdensome duty or charge; as, a heavy tax on time or health. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Charge; censure. [ Obs. ] Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A lesson to be learned; a task. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tax cart, a spring cart subject to a low tax. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Impost; tribute; contribution; duty; toll; rate; assessment; exaction; custom; demand. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being taxable; taxableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Capable of being taxed; liable by law to the assessment of taxes; as, taxable estate; taxable commodities. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) That may be legally charged by a court against the plaintiff of defendant in a suit; as, taxable costs. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Tax"a*ble*ness, n. -- Tax"a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; an arrangement + &unr_;, &unr_;, shield. ] (Zool.) Having the posterior tarsal scales, or scutella, rectangular and arranged in regular rows; -- said of certain birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. taxation, L. taxatio a valuing, estimation, from L. taxare. See Tax. ] 1. The act of laying a tax, or of imposing taxes, as on the subjects of a state, by government, or on the members of a corporation or company, by the proper authority; the raising of revenue; also, a system of raising revenue. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) The act of taxing, or assessing a bill of cost. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Tax; sum imposed. [ R. ] Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Charge; accusation. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Law) The certificate issued to the purchaser of land at a tax sale certifying to the sale and the payment of the consideration thereof, and entitling the purchaser upon certain conditions and at a certain time thereafter to a deed or instrument of conveyance (called a tax deed) of the land, to be executed by the proper officer. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) The American badger. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; (?) + -poda. ] (Paleon.) An order of extinct Mammalia found in the Tertiary formations. [ 1913 Webster ]