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take Definition

take (tāk)

transitive verb took, tak′·en, tak′·ing

Etymology: ME taken < OE tacan < ON taka < ? IE base *dēg-, to lay hold of

intransitive verb

  1. to get possession
  2. to hook or engage with another part: said of a mechanical device
  3. to take root; begin growing: said of a plant
  4. to lay hold; catch the fire took rapidly
  5. to gain public favor; be popular
  6. to be effective in action, operation, desired result, etc. the vaccination took; the dye takes well
  7. to remove a part; detract (from) nothing took from the scene's beauty
  8. to be made or adapted to be taken (up, down, apart, etc.)
  9. Informal, Dialectal to become (ill or sick)
  10. Informal to be photographed in a specified way she takes well in profile
  11. Law to take possession of property

noun

  1. the act or process of taking
  2. something that has been taken
    1. the amount or quantity of something taken the day's take of fish
    2. Slang money received; receipts or profit
  4. a vaccination that takes
  5. Film
    1. an uninterrupted shot photographed by a camera
    2. the process of photographing such a shot
    1. any of a series of recordings or tapes of a performance, from which one will be made for release to the public
    2. the process of so recording
  7. Informal opinion; evaluation; assessment: followed by on what's your take on the new tax?
  8. Printing the amount of copy sent to the compositor at one time

take Related Forms
tak′·able adjective or take′·able
take Idioms

on the take

☆

Slang willing or seeking to take bribes or illicit income

take after

  1. to be, act, or look like
  2. to run after or pursue

take a meeting

☆

Slang to attend a business conference

take amiss

  1. Archaic to be wrong concerning; mistake
  2. to misunderstand the reason behind (an act), esp. so as to become offended

take back

  1. to regain use or possession of
  2. to retract (something said, promised, etc.)
  3. to return (something), as to be exchanged

take down

  1. to remove from a higher place and put in a lower one; pull down
  2. to unfasten; take apart
  3. to make less conceited; humble
  4. to put in writing; record

take five (or ten, etc.)

☆

Informal take a break for five (or ten, etc.) minutes, as from working

take for

  1. to consider to be; regard as
  2. to mistake for

take hold

to take effect or become firmly established the new fad took hold quickly

take hold of

to seize; grasp

take in

  1. to admit; receive
  2. to shorten (a sail) by reefing or furling
  3. to make smaller or more compact
  4. to include; comprise
  5. to understand; comprehend
  6. to cheat; trick; deceive
  7. ☆ to visit, see, experience, etc. to take in all the sights
  8. to receive into one's home for pay to take in boarders

take it

  1. to suppose; believe
  2. ☆ Slang to withstand difficulty, criticism, hardship, ridicule, etc.

take it or leave it

accept it or not

take it out of

Informal
  1. to exhaust; tire
  2. to obtain payment or satisfaction from

take it out on

☆

Informal to make (another) suffer for one's own anger, irritation, bad temper, etc.

take off

  1. to remove (a garment, etc.)
  2. to draw or conduct away
    1. to go away; depart
    2. to absent oneself, as from work
  4. to deduct; subtract
  5. to kill
  6. to make a copy or likeness of
  7. to leave the ground or water in flight
  8. Informal to start
  9. Informal to imitate in a burlesque manner; parody: with on
  10. Informal to become very popular and successful
  11. Slang to rob

take on

  1. to acquire; assume (form, quality, etc.)
  2. to employ; hire
  3. to begin to do (a task, etc.); undertake
  4. to compete or play against; oppose
  5. Informal to show violent emotion, especially anger or sorrow

take one's time

to be slow or unhurried; delay

take out

    1. to remove; extract
    2. to deduct
  2. to obtain by application to the proper authority
  3. Informal to escort
  4. Slang to kill; specif., to assassinate
  5. Bridge to bid higher than (one's partner) but in a different suit

take over

to assume control or possession of

take to

  1. to develop a habit or practice of doing, using, etc.
  2. to apply oneself to (one's studies, work, etc.)
  3. to become fond of; care for; be attracted to
    1. to go to or withdraw to to take to the hills, take to one's bed with the flu
    2. to travel on or proceed by to take to the open road

take up

  1. to raise; lift
  2. to make tighter or shorter
  3. to pay off; recover by buying (a mortgage, note, etc.)
  4. to absorb (a liquid)
  5. to accept (a challenge, bet, etc.)
  6. to assume protection or custody of
  7. to interrupt in disapproval or rebuke: with on
  8. to resume (something interrupted)
    1. to become interested in or devoted to (an occupation, study, hobby, belief, etc.)
    2. to adopt (an idea)
  10. to occupy or fill (space or time)

take upon oneself

or take on oneself
  1. to take the responsibility for; accept as a charge
  2. to begin (to do something)

take up with

Informal to become a friend or companion of

take Synonyms

take

n.

  1. Something that is taken

    part, cut, proceeds; see profit 2, share.

  2. Scene filmed or televised

    film, shot, motion picture; see photograph.

  3. *Something that is seized

    catching, haul*, swag*; see booty, catch 1.

on the take*

corrupt, corruptible, avaricious, money-hungry; see greedy 1.

take Synonyms

take

v.

  1. To seize

    appropriate, pocket, carry off; see seize 1, 2.

  2. To collect

    gather up, accept, reap; see receive 1.

  3. To catch

    seize, capture, grab, get hold of; see catch 1.

  4. To choose

    select, decide on, prefer; see choose 1, decide.

  5. To acquire

    win, attain, secure; see earn 2, obtain 1.

  6. To require

    necessitate, demand, call for; see need.

  7. To purchase

    pay for, procure, gain; see buy 1.

  8. To contract; said of a disease

    get, come down with, be seized with; see catch 4.

  9. To record

    note, register, take notes; see record 1.

  10. To transport

    convey, deliver, carry, drive; see bring 1, carry 1.

  11. To captivate

    charm, delight, overwhelm; see entertain 1, fascinate.

  12. To win

    prevail, triumph, beat; see defeat 1.

  13. To rent

    lease, hire, charter; see rent 2.

  14. To steal

    misappropriate, purloin, filch; see steal.

  15. To undergo

    tolerate, suffer, bear; see endure 2, undergo.

  16. To consider

    regard, look upon, hold; see consider 2.

  17. To comprehend

    apprehend, grasp, perceive; see know 1, understand 1.

  18. To lead

    guide, steer, pilot; see lead 1.

  19. To escort

    conduct, attend, go with; see accompany 1.

  20. To admit

    let in, welcome, give access to; see receive 4.

  21. To enjoy

    relish, delight in, luxuriate in; see like 1.

  22. To adopt

    utilize, assume, appropriate; see adopt 2.

  23. To apply

    put in practice, exert, exercise; see practice 1, use 1.

  24. To travel

    tour, journey, trek, travel by; see travel 2.

  25. To seek

    look for, search for, go after; see hunt 2, seek 1.

  26. To experience

    sense, observe, be aware of; see feel 2.

  27. *To cheat

    defraud, trick, swindle; see deceive.

  28. To grow

    germinate, develop into, grow to be; see become 1. See syn. study at bring, receive, seize.

take Usage Examples

Object

  • place: Most of his training actually took place on the job.
  • part: Only riders who do not own a horse will be able to take part.
  • advantage: In the last, I ended up taking advantage of her boast to the front.
  • action: Nursery nurses never wanted to take this all-out action.
  • step: We were about to take the first step on our journey across the Pyrenees.
  • care: We can take care of all your hosting needs with a professional hosting company on your behalf.

Preposition: on

  • board: Donovan at once plunged in and diving brought her up and she was taken on board.
  • role: Geof has taken on the role of caring for and protecting Jo.

Preposition: into

  • account: The leadership team will need to take into account the Special Needs of any members of the Unit.
  • consideration: Only those business activities, which directly produce the gross profits, are taken into consideration in determining the source of profits.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • over: Tom Wilson took over on a temporary basis along with Dennis Booth.
  • off: Jack took off his glasses and slowly pressed a kiss on each eye.
  • up: The apparent enthusiasm with which the revised ritual is being taken up is a measure of the pressure being put on Chapters to conform.
  • out: We used to use a plastic box which worked fine but I find these bags much easier to take out and about.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • up: Three people took up the task of getting him to Norway.
  • away: January 2004 - Changed the look of the entire site by taking away the clumsy looking frames around many of the photos.
  • out: Try not to take out bank or credit agency loans to avoid debt early on in the business's life.
  • off: A couple of weeks earlier he'd taken the condom off during sex.

Used with why or when

  • when: Care should be taken when choosing first year options because these choices will limit you in the future years.

Particle object:

  • residence: Mr Faulds added that it was his intention that either a Manager or his son would take up residence in the bungalow.
take Quotes

The way you wear your hat, The way you sip your tea, The mem'ry of all thatö No, no! They can't take that away from me!

—Gershwin, Ira originally Israel Gershowitz

The way your smile just beams The way you sing off key The way you haunt my dreams No, no! They can't take that away from me!

—Gershwin, Ira originally Israel Gershowitz

Aprendamos a ignorar, pensamiento, pues hallamos que cuanto an‹  ado al discurso, tanto le usurpo a los an‹  os. Thought, let's learn not to know, since so plainly it appears that whatever we add to our minds we take away from our years.

—Cruz, SorJuana Ine¤  s de la

Take her up tenderly, Lift her with care; Fashioned so slenderly, Young, and so fair!

—Honorius of Autun

You ought to take the bull between the teeth.

—Goldwyn, Sam(uel) originally  Schmuel Gelbfisz

   There be triple ways to take, of the eagle or the snake, Or the way of a man with a maid; But the sweetest way to me is a ship's upon the sea In the heel of the North-East Trade.

—Kipling, (Joseph) Rudyard