take

—takable, takeable, adj. —taker, n.

/tayk/, v., took, taken, taking, n.

v.t.

1. to get into one's hold or possession by voluntary action: to take a cigarette out of a box; to take a pen and begin to write.

2. to hold, grasp, or grip: to take a book in one's hand; to take a child by the hand.

3. to get into one's hands, possession, control, etc., by force or artifice: to take a bone from a snarling dog.

4. to seize or capture: to take an enemy town; to take a prisoner.

5. to catch or get (fish, game, etc.), esp. by killing: to take a dozen trout on a good afternoon.

6. to pick from a number; select: Take whichever you wish.

7. to receive and accept willingly (something given or offered): to take a compliment with a smile; to take a bribe.

8. to receive or be the recipient of (something bestowed, administered, etc.): to take first prize.

9. to accept and act upon or comply with: to take advice; to take a dare.

10. to receive or accept (a person) into some relation: to take someone in marriage; to take new members once a year.

11. to receive, react, or respond to in a specified manner: Although she kept calm, she took his death hard.

12. to receive as a payment or charge: He refused to take any money for the use of his car.

13. to gain for use by payment, lease, etc.: to take a box at the opera; to take a beach house for a month.

14. to secure regularly or periodically by payment: to take a magazine.

15. to get or obtain from a source; derive: The book takes its title from Dante.

16. to extract or quote: He took whole passages straight from Dickens.

17. to obtain or exact as compensation for some wrong: to take revenge.

18. to receive into the body or system, as by swallowing or inhaling: to take a pill; to take a breath of fresh air.

19. to have for one's benefit or use: to take a meal; to take a nap; to take a bath.

20. to use as a flavoring agent in a food or beverage: to take sugar in one's coffee.

21. to be subjected to; undergo: to take a heat treatment.

22. to endure or submit to with equanimity or without an appreciable weakening of one's resistance: to take a joke; unable to take punishment.

23. to enter into the enjoyment of (recreation, a holiday, etc.): to take a vacation.

24. to carry off without permission: to take something that belongs to another.

25. to remove: to take the pins out of one's hair.

26. to remove by death: The flood took many families.

27. to end (a life): She took her own life.

28. to subtract or deduct: If you take 2 from 5, that leaves 3.

29. to carry with one: Take your lunch with you. Are you taking an umbrella?

30. to convey in a means of transportation: We took them for a ride in the country.

31. (of a vehicle) to convey or transport: Will this bus take me across town?

32. (of a road, path, etc.) to serve as a means of conducting to or through some place or region: Fifth Avenue took us through the center of town. These stairs will take you up to the attic.

33. to bring about a change in the state or condition of: Her ambition and perseverance took her quickly to the top of her field.

34. to conduct or escort: to take someone out for dinner.

35. to set about or succeed in getting over, through, or around (some obstacle); clear; negotiate: The horse took the hedge easily. He took the corner at top speed.

36. to come upon suddenly; catch: to take someone by surprise.

37. to get or contract; catch: He took cold over the weekend. I took a chill.

38. to attack or affect, as with a disease: suddenly taken with a fit of coughing.

39. to be capable of attaining as a result of some action or treatment: Most leathers take a high polish.

40. to absorb or become impregnated with; be susceptible to: Waxed paper will not take ink. This cloth takes dye.

41. to attract and hold: The red sweater took his eye. The urgent voice took her attention.

42. to captivate or charm: The kitten took my fancy.

43. to require: It takes courage to do that. The climb took all our strength.

44. to employ for some specified or implied purpose: to take measures to curb drugs.

45. to use as a means of transportation: to take a bus to the ferry.

46. to get on or board (a means of transportation) at a given time or in a given place: She takes the train at Scarsdale.

47. to proceed to occupy: to take a seat.

48. to occupy; fill (time, space, etc.): His hobby takes most of his spare time. The machine takes a lot of room.

49. to use up; consume: This car takes a great deal of oil. He took ten minutes to solve the problem.

50. to avail oneself of: He took the opportunity to leave. She took the time to finish it properly.

51. to do, perform, execute, etc.: to take a walk.

52. to go into or enter: Take the next road to the left.

53. to adopt and enter upon (a way, course, etc.): to take the path of least resistance.

54. to act or perform: to take the part of the hero.

55. to make (a reproduction, picture, or photograph): to take home movies of the children.

56. to make a picture, esp. a photograph, of: The photographer took us sitting down.

57. to write down: to take a letter in shorthand; to take notes at a lecture.

58. to apply oneself to; study: to take ballet; She took four courses in her freshman year.

59. to deal with; treat: to take things in their proper order.

60. to proceed to handle in some manner: to take a matter under consideration.

61. to assume or undertake (a function, duty, job, etc.): The mayor took office last month.

62. to assume or adopt (a symbol, badge, or the like) as a token of office: to take the veil; to take the throne.

63. to assume the obligation of; be bound by: to take an oath.

64. to assume or adopt as one's own: to take someone's part in an argument; He took the side of the speaker.

65. to assume or appropriate as if by right: to take credit for someone else's work.

66. to accept the burden of: She took the blame for his failure.

67. to determine by inquiry, examination, measurement, scientific observation, etc.: to take someone's pulse; to take a census.

68. to make or carry out for purposes of yielding such a determination: to take someone's measurements; to take a seismographic reading.

69. to begin to have; experience (a certain feeling or state of mind): to take pride in one's appearance.

70. to form and hold in the mind: to take a gloomy view.

71. to grasp or apprehend mentally; understand; comprehend: Do you take my meaning, sir?

72. to understand in a specified way: You shouldn't take the remark as an insult.

73. to grasp the meaning of (a person): if we take him correctly.

74. to accept the statements of: to take him at his word.

75. to assume as a fact: I take it that you will be there.

76. to regard or consider: They were taken to be wealthy.

77. to capture or win (a piece, trick, etc.) in a game.

78. Informal. to cheat, swindle, or victimize: They really take people in that shop. The museum got taken on that painting.

79. to win or obtain money from: He took me for $10 in the poker game.

80. (of a man) to have sexual intercourse with.

81. Gram. to be used with (a certain form, accent, case, mood, etc.): a verb that always takes an object.

82. Law. to acquire property, as on the happening of an event: They take a fortune under the will.

83. Baseball. (of a batter) to allow (a pitch) to go by without swinging at it: He took a third strike.

v.i.

84. to catch or engage, as a mechanical device: She turned the key and heard a click as the catch took.

85. to strike root or begin to grow, as a plant.

86. to adhere, as ink, dye, or color.

87. (of a person or thing) to win favor or acceptance: a new TV show that took with the public.

88. to have the intended result or effect, as a medicine, inoculation, etc.: The vaccination took.

89. to enter into possession, as of an estate.

90. to detract (usually fol. by from).

91. to apply or devote oneself: He took to his studies.

92. to make one's way; proceed; go: to take across the meadow.

93. to fall or become: She took sick and had to go home.

94. to admit of being photographed in a particular manner: a model who takes exceptionally well.

95. to admit of being moved or separated: This crib takes apart for easy storage.

96. take after,

a. to resemble (another person, as a parent) physically, temperamentally, etc.: The baby took after his mother.

b. Also, take off after, take out after. to follow; chase: The detective took after the burglars.

97. take back,

a. to regain possession of: to take back one's lawn mower.

b. to return, as for exchange: It was defective, so I took it back to the store.

c. to allow to return; resume a relationship with: She said she would never take him back again.

d. to cause to remember: It takes one back to the old days.

e. to retract: to take back a statement.

98. take down,

a. to move from a higher to a lower level or place.

b. to pull apart or take apart; dismantle; disassemble.

c. to write down; record.

d. to diminish the pride or arrogance of; humble: to take someone down a notch or two.

99. take for,

a. to assume to be: I took it for the truth.

b. to assume falsely to be; mistake for: to be taken for a foreigner.

100. take for granted. See grant (def. 6).

101. take in,

a. to permit to enter; admit.

b. to alter (an article of clothing) so as to make smaller.

c. to provide lodging for.

d. to include; encompass.

e. to grasp the meaning of; comprehend.

f. to deceive; trick; cheat.

g. to observe; notice.

h. to visit or attend: to take in a show.

i. to furl (a sail).

j. to receive as proceeds, as from business activity.

k. Chiefly Brit. to subscribe to: to take in a magazine.

102. take it,

a. to accept or believe something; aquiesce: I'll take it on your say-so.

b. Informal. to be able to resist or endure hardship, abuse, etc.

c. to understand: I take it that you're not interested.

103. take it out in, to accept as payment for services or as an equivalent of monetary compensation: He takes it out in goods instead of cash.

104. take it out of,

a. to exhaust; enervate: Every year the winter takes it out of me.

b. to exact payment from; penalize: They took it out of your pay.

105. take it out on, Informal. to cause (someone else) to suffer for one's own misfortune or dissatisfaction: Just because you're angry with him you don't have to take it out on me!

106. take off,

a. to remove: Take off your coat.

b. to lead away: The child was taken off by kidnappers.

c. Informal. to depart; leave: They took off yesterday for California.

d. to leave the ground, as an airplane.

e. to move onward or forward with a sudden or intense burst of speed: The police car took off after the drunken driver.

f. to withdraw or remove from: She was taken off the night shift.

g. to remove by death; kill: Millions were taken off by the Black Plague.

h. to make a likeness or copy of; reproduce.

i. to subtract, as a discount; deduct: Shop early and we'll take off 20 percent.

j. Informal. to imitate; mimic; burlesque.

k. Informal. to achieve sudden, marked growth, success, etc.: Sales took off just before Christmas. The actor's career took off after his role in that movie.

107. take on,

a. to hire; employ.

b. to undertake; assume: to take on new responsibilities.

c. to acquire: The situation begins to take on a new light.

d. to accept as a challenge; contend against: to take on a bully.

e. Informal. to show great emotion; become excited: There's no need to take on so.

108. take out,

a. to withdraw; remove: to take out a handkerchief.

b. to procure by application: to take out an insurance policy.

c. to carry out for use or consumption elsewhere: to take a book out of the library; to get food to take out.

d. to escort; invite: He takes out my sister now and then.

e. to set out; start: They took out for the nearest beach.

f. Slang. to kill; destroy.

109. take over, to assume management or possession of or responsibility for: The first officer took over the ship when the captain suffered a heart attack.

110. take to,

a. to devote or apply oneself to; become habituated to: to take to drink.

b. to respond favorably to; begin to like: They took to each other at once.

c. to go to: to take to one's bed.

d. to have recourse to; resort to: She took to getting up at five to go jogging before work.

111. take up,

a. to occupy oneself with the study or practice of: She took up painting in her spare time.

b. to lift or pick up: He took up the fallen leaves with a rake.

c. to occupy; cover: A grand piano would take up half of our living room.

d. to consume; use up; absorb: Traveling to her job takes up a great deal of time.

e. to begin to advocate or support; sponsor: He has taken up another struggling artist.

f. to continue; resume: We took up where we had left off.

g. to reply to in order to reprove: The author takes up his critics in the preface of his latest book.

h. to assume: He took up the duties of the presidency.

i. to absorb: Use a sponge to take up the spilled milk.

j. to make shorter, as by hemming: to take up the sleeves an inch.

k. to make tighter, as by winding in: to take up the slack in a reel of tape.

l. to deal with in discussion: to take up the issue of mass transit.

m. to adopt seriously: to take up the idea of seeking public office.

n. to accept, as an offer or challenge.

o. to buy as much as is offered: The sale was taken up in a matter of days.

p. Chiefly Brit. to clear by paying off, as a loan.

q. Obs. to arrest (esp. a runaway slave).

112. take up a collection, to ask for or gather donations, usually of money, from a number of people.

113. take upon oneself, to assume as a responsibility or obligation: She has taken it upon herself to support the family.

114. take up with, Informal. to become friendly with; keep company with: He took up with a bad crowd.

n.

115. the act of taking.

116. something that is taken.

117. the quantity of fish, game, etc., taken at one time.

118. an opinion or assessment: What's your take on the candidate?

119. an approach; treatment: a new take on an old idea.

120. Informal. money taken in, esp. profits.

121. Journalism. a portion of copy assigned to a Linotype operator or compositor, usually part of a story or article.

122. Motion Pictures.

a. a scene, or a portion of a scene, photographed without any interruption or break.

b. an instance of such continuous operation of the camera.

123. Informal. a visual and mental response to something typically manifested in a stare expressing total absorption or wonderment: She did a slow take on being asked by reporters the same question for the third time.

124. a recording of a musical performance.

125. Med. a successful inoculation.

126. on the take, Slang.

a. accepting bribes.

b. in search of personal profit at the expense of others.

[bef. 1100; ME taken to take, strike, lay hold of, grasp, late OE tacan to grasp, touch < ON taka to take; c. MD taken to grasp, Goth tekan to touch]

Syn. 1. acquire, secure, procure. See bring. 6. choose. 22. bear, stand, tolerate. 42. delight, attract, interest, engage. 43. need, demand. 44. use. 67. ascertain. 75. suppose, presume.

Ant. 1. give.

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