A variant spelling of hansom, referring to the two-wheeled horse-drawn taxi that was common in Victorian cities.
Compound of 'hansom' (from designer J.A. Hansom) and 'cab' (short for cabriolet, from French). Written as two words or sometimes hyphenated, referring to the specific taxi service that operated with these carriages.
Hansom cabs became so iconic in Victorian London that Sherlock Holmes stories constantly reference them as the quick getaway vehicle of choice—they were essentially the 'Uber' of the 1800s, available on street corners and incredibly fast.
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