[tax] vt [ME, to estimate, assess, tax, fr. OF taxer, fr. ML taxare, fr. L, to feel, estimate, censure, freq. of tangere to touch--more at tangent] (14c) 1: to assess or determine judicially the amount of (costs in a court action)
2: to levy a tax on 3 obs: to enter (a name) in a list "there went out a decree ... that all the world should be ~ed --Lk 2:1 (AV)"
4: charge, accuse "~ed him with neglect of duty"; also: censure
5: to make onerous and rigorous demands on "the job ~ed her strength" -- tax.able adj -- tax.er n
[2]tax n, often attrib (14c) 1 a: a charge usu. of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes b: a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expenses
2: a heavy demand