Definitions for: Tax


[n] charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government
[v] make a charge against or accuse; "They taxed him failure to appear in court"
[v] use to the limit; "you are taxing my patience"
[v] levy a tax on; "The State taxes alcohol heavily"; "Clothing is not taxed in our state"
[v] set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)



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

A farmer of taxes is, of all creditors,
proverbially the most rapacious. --Macaulay.
(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.

Note: Taxes are annual or perpetual, direct or
indirect, etc.
(c) A sum imposed or levied upon the members of a society
to defray its expenses.

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

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

4. Charge; censure. [Obs.] --Clarendon.

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

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

Syn: Impost; tribute; contribution; duty; toll; rate;
assessment; exaction; custom; demand.


Tax, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Taxed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Taxing.] [Cf. F. taxer. See Tax, n.]
1. To subject to the payment of a tax or taxes; to impose a
tax upon; to lay a burden upon; especially, to exact money
from for the support of government.

We are more heavily taxed by our idleness, pride,
and folly than we are taxed by government.
--Franklin.

2. (Law) To assess, fix, or determine judicially, the amount
of; as, to tax the cost of an action in court.

3. To charge; to accuse; also, to censure; -- often followed
by with, rarely by of before an indirect object; as, to
tax a man with pride.

I tax you, you elements, with unkindness. --Shak.

Men's virtues I have commended as freely as I have
taxed their crimes. --Dryden.

Fear not now that men should tax thine honor. --M.
Arnold.

Synonyms: assess, revenue enhancement, task, taxation

See Also: capital gains tax, capital levy, capitation, charge, departure tax, determine, direct tax, duty, excise, excise, excise tax, extend, franchise tax, gift tax, impose, income tax, indirect tax, levy, levy, overtax, pavage, progressive tax, rates, set, single tax, special assessment, stamp duty, stamp tax, strain, surtax, tariff, tariff, transfer tax

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