Definition of: take

(tāk) v. took, tak·en, tak·ing v.t.
1. To lay hold of; grasp.
2. To get possession of; seize.
3. To seize forcibly; capture; catch.
4. To catch in a trap or snare.
5. To gain in competition; win.
6. To choose; select.
7. To obtain by purchase; buy.
8. To rent or hire; lease: to take lodgings.
9. To receive regularly by payment; subscribe to, as a periodical.
10. To assume occupancy of: to take a chair.
11. To assume the responsibilities or duties of: to take office.
12. To bring or accept into some relation to oneself: He took a wife.
13. To assume as a symbol or badge: to take the veil.
14. To impose upon oneself; subject oneself to: to take a vow.
15. To remove or carry off: with away.
16. To remove from the proper place; misappropriate; steal.
17. To remove by death.
18. To subtract or deduct.
19. To be subjected to; undergo: to take a beating.
20. To submit to; accept passively: to take an insult.
21. To become affected with; contract: He took cold.
22. To affect: The fever took him at dawn.
23. To captivate; charm or delight: The dress took her fancy.
24. To conduct oneself in response to; react to: How did she take the news?
25. To undertake to deal with; contend with; handle: to take an examination.
26. To consider; deem: I take him for an honest man.
27. To understand; comprehend.
28. To strike in a specified place; hit: The blow took him on the forehead.
29. Colloq. To aim or direct: He took a shot at the target.
30. To carry with one; transport; convey: Take your umbrella!
31. To lead: This road takes you to town.
32. To escort; conduct: Who took her to the dance?
33. To receive into the body, as by eating, inhaling, etc.: Take a deep breath.
34. To accept, as something offered, due, or given; have conferred on one: to take a bribe; to take a degree.
35. To let in; admit: The ship is taking water; The car will take only six people.
36. To indulge oneself in; enjoy: to take a nap.
37. To perform, as an action: to take a stride.
38. To avail oneself of (an opportunity, etc.).
39. To put into effect; adopt: to take measures; to take advice.
40. To use up or consume; require as necessary; demand: The piano takes too much space; That takes a lot of nerve.
41. To make use of; apply: They took clubs to him; to take pains.
42. To travel by means of: to take a train to Boston.
43. To go to; seek: to take cover.
44. To ascertain or obtain by measuring, computing, etc.: to take a census.
45. To obtain or derive from some source; adopt or copy.
46. To obtain by writing; write down or copy: to take notes.
47. To obtain a likeness or representation of, as by drawing or photographing; also, to obtain (a likeness, picture, etc.) in such a manner.
48. To experience; feel: to take pride in an achievement.
49. To conceive or feel: She took a dislike to him.
50. To become impregnated with; absorb: The cloth will not take the pattern.
51. Slang To cheat; deceive.
52. Gram. To require by construction or usage: The verb takes a direct object.
—v.i.
53. To get possession.
54. To engage; catch, as mechanical parts.
55. To begin to grow; germinate.
56. To have the intended effect: The vaccination took.
57. To become popular; gain favor or currency, as a play.
58. To admit of being photographed: His face takes well.
59. To detract: with from.
60. To become (ill or sick).
61. To make one's way; go. See synonyms under ABSTRACT, ASSUME, CARRY, CATCH.
—to take after
1. To resemble.
2. To follow as an example.
—to take amiss To be offended by.
—to take at one's word To believe.
—to take back
1. To regain.
2. To retract.
—to take breath To pause, as from working.
—to take down
1. To pull down, as a building.
2. To dismantle; disassemble.
3. To humble.
4. To write down; make a record of.
—to take heart To gain courage or confidence.
—to take in
1. To admit; receive.
2. To lessen in size or scope.
3. To furl or brail (sail).
4. To include; embrace.
5. To understand.
6. To cheat or deceive.
7. To visit as part of a tour: Did you take in the Louvre?
8. To receive into one's home for pay, as lodgers or work.
—to take in vain To use profanely or blasphemously, as the name of a deity.
—to take it
1. To assume; understand.
2. To endure hardship, abuse, etc.
—to take off
1. To remove, as a coat.
2. To carry away.
3. To kill.
4. To deduct.
5. To mimic; burlesque.
6. To rise from the ground or water in starting a flight, as an airplane.
7. To leave; depart.
—to take on
1. To hire; employ.
2. To undertake to deal with; handle.
3. Colloq. To exhibit violent emotion.
—to take out
1. To extract; remove.
2. To obtain from the proper authority, as a license or patent.
3. To lead or escort.
—to take over
1. To assume control of.
2. To convey.
—to take place To happen.
—to take stock
1. To make an inventory.
2. To estimate probability, position, etc.; consider.
—to take the field To begin a campaign or game.
—to take to
1. To betake oneself to: to take to one's bed.
2. To develop the practice of, or an addiction to: He took to drink.
3. To become fond of; be attracted by.
—to take to heart To be deeply affected by.
—to take up
1. To raise or lift.
2. To make smaller or less; shorten or tighten.
3. To pay, as a note or mortgage.
4. To accept as stipulated: to take up an option.
5. To begin or begin again; resume.
6. To reprove or criticize.
7. To occupy, engage, or consume, as space or time.
8. To acquire an interest in or devotion to: to take up a cause.
—to take up with Colloq. To become friendly with; associate with.
—noun
1. The act of taking, or that which is taken.
2. An uninterrupted run of the camera and sound apparatus in recording any portion of a motion picture.
3. Slang The money collected; receipts.
4. The quantity collected at one time: the take of fish. [OE tacan <ON taka]