Word: take Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English taken (“to take, lay hold of, grasp, strike”), from Old English tacan (“to grasp, touch”), probably of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse taka (“to touch, take”), from Proto-Germanic *tēkaną (“to touch”), from pre-Germanic *deh₁g- (“to touch”), possibly a phonetically altered form of Proto-Indo-European *te-th₂g- (“to touch, take”) (see there for details). Gradually displaced native English nim, from Middle English nimen, from Old English niman (“to take”). Cognates Cognate with Scots tak (“to take”), Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk taka (“to take”), Norwegian Bokmål ta (“to take”), Swedish ta (“to take”), Danish tage (“to take, seize”), West Frisian take, taakje (“to grab, steal”), Dutch taken (“to take; grasp”), Middle Low German tacken (“to grasp”). English thack may be from the same root. Compare tackle. Despite superficial similarity, unrelated to Proto-Indo-European *tek- (“to take by hand, obtain”), which is instead cognate with English thig (“to beg”). Pronunciation: /ˈteɪ̯k/, [ˈtʰeɪ̯k], /ˈteːk/, [ˈtʰeːk], /ˈtæɪ̯k/ 1. To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. Labels: transitive Example: They took Charlton's gun from his cold, dead hands. Example: I'll take that plate off the table. 2. To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. Labels: transitive Example: take the guards prisoner Example: take prisoners 3. To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. Labels: transitive Example: took ten catfish in one afternoon Example: The horses appear to thrive well, yet they are small sized, and have lost so much strength, that they are unfit to be used in taking wild cattle with the lazo. 4. To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. Labels: transitive 5. To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. Labels: transitive Example: Billy took her pencil. 6. To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. Labels: transitive Example: take a toll Example: take revenge 7. To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force. Labels: transitive Example: took the next two tricks Example: took Smith's rook 8. To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given). Labels: transitive Example: took third place Example: took bribes 9. To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given). Labels: transitive Example: The store doesn't take checks. Example: She wouldn't take any money for her help. 10. To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given). Labels: transitive Example: take my advice Example: Between theſe, thoſe ſeem to do beſt who taking material and uſeful hints, ſometimes from ſingle matters of Fact, carry them in their Minds to be judg'd of, by what they ſhall find in Hiſtory to confirm or reverſe theſe imperfect Obſervations; which may be eſtabliſh'd into Rules fit to be rely'd on, when they are juſtify'd by a ſufficient and wary Induction of Particulars. 11. To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given). Labels: transitive Example: take a wife Example: The school only takes new students in the fall. 12. To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given). Labels: intransitive, transitive Example: There was no intestacy, and they did not take under the will as heirs, but the widow and the children, under the residuary devise, take as tenants in common. 13. To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given). Labels: transitive Example: He took all the credit for the project, although he had done almost none of the work. Example: She took the blame, in the public's eyes, although the debacle was more her husband's fault than her own. 14. To remove. Labels: transitive Example: take two eggs from the carton Example: And therefore, according to the tenor of ſuch a covenant, he has made no proviſion to ſecure his people in any ſuch temporalties, but took from them all right of war and reſiſtance. 15. To remove. Labels: transitive Example: The earthquake took many lives. Example: The plague took rich and poor alike. 16. To remove. Labels: transitive Example: Take one from three and you are left with two. 17. To have sex with. Labels: transitive Example: Sometimes he would have her standing up by the side of the bed, not bothering to undress, merely undoing his fly and using her like a cheap envelope to receive his lust. At others he would take her on the floor of her clothes closet and then leave her, locked in for the rest of the night, awash with his sex, until her embarrassed maid freed her the next morning. Example: I wonder what it would feel like to take two cocks at the same time. 18. To defeat (someone or something) in a fight. Labels: transitive Example: Don't try to take that guy. He's bigger than you. Example: The woman guarding us looks like a professional, but I can take her! 19. To grasp or grip. Labels: transitive Example: He took her hand in his. Example: The young females ſeeing him approach in ſuch haste; and according to cuſtom, expecting a dance; inſtantly aſſembled in a circle, and took each other by the hand: but Gulchenrouz, coming up out of breath, fell down, at once, on the graſs. 20. To select or choose; to pick. Labels: transitive Example: Take whichever bag you like. Example: She took the best men with her and left the rest to garrison the city. 21. To select or choose; to pick. Labels: transitive Example: She took his side in every argument. Example: take a stand on the important issues 22. To select or choose; to pick. Labels: transitive Example: I'll take a level as a fighter, so I can take the weapon specialization skill. 23. To carry or lead (something or someone). Labels: transitive Example: She took her sword with her everywhere she went. Example: I'll take the plate with me. 24. To carry or lead (something or someone). Labels: especially, transitive Example: The next bus will take you to Metz. Example: I took him for a ride 25. To carry or lead (something or someone). Labels: transitive, usually Example: These stairs take you down to the basement. Example: Stone Street took us right past the store. 26. To carry or lead (something or someone). Labels: transitive Example: She took the steps two or three at a time. Example: He took the curve / corner too fast. 27. To carry or lead (something or someone). Labels: transitive Example: He took her to lunch at the new restaurant, took her to the movies, and then took her home. Example: And fain would take thee with me, in the Dell / Of Peace and mild Equality to dwell, / Where Toil ſhall call the charmer Health his Bride, / And Laughter tickle Plenty's ribleſs ſide! 28. To carry or lead (something or someone). Labels: reflexive, transitive Example: In a rare example of clemency Pope John assured him of a pardon, perhaps on the grounds that the innocent monk had merely been the victim of Louis's overbearing ambitions. Nicholas then took himself to Avignon where in August 1330 he formally renounced his claim to the papacy. 29. To use as a means of transportation. Labels: transitive Example: take the ferry Example: I took a plane. 30. To obtain for use by payment or lease. Labels: transitive Example: She took a condo at the beach for the summer. Example: He took a full-page ad in the Times. 31. To obtain for use by payment or lease. Labels: transitive Example: They took two magazines. Example: I used to take The Sunday Times. 32. To receive (medicine or drugs) into one's body, e.g. by inhalation or swallowing; to ingest. Labels: transitive Example: take two of these and call me in the morning Example: take the blue pill 33. To consume (food or drink). Labels: dated, transitive Example: The general took dinner at seven o'clock. Example: To such men as Mr. Hellyer, who every night take much strong drink, and on no occasion whatever take any exercise, sixty is the grand climacteric. He was a year ago just fifty-nine. Alas! he has not even reached his grand climacteric. Already he is gone. He was cut off by pneumonia, or apoplexy, last Christmas. 34. To undergo; to put oneself into, to be subjected to. Labels: transitive Example: take sun-baths Example: take a shower 35. To experience or feel. Labels: transitive Example: She takes pride in her work. Example: I take offence at that. 36. To submit to; to endure (without ill humor, resentment, or physical failure). Labels: transitive Example: took a pay cut Example: take a joke 37. To suffer; to endure (a hardship or damage). Labels: transitive Example: The ship took a direct hit and was destroyed. Example: Her career took a hit. 38. To participate in. Labels: transitive Example: She took a vacation to France but spent the whole time feeling miserable that her husband couldn't be there with her. Example: Aren't you supposed to take your math final today? 39. To cause to change to a specified state or condition. Labels: transitive Example: He had to take it apart to fix it. Example: She took down her opponent in two minutes. 40. To regard in a specified way. Labels: transitive Example: He took the news badly. Example: Not unnaturally, "Auntie" took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago. 41. To conclude or form (a decision or an opinion) in the mind. Labels: transitive Example: took the decision to close its last remaining outlet Example: took a dim view of city officials 42. To understand (especially in a specified way). Labels: transitive Example: Don't take my comments as an insult. Example: if she took my meaning 43. To believe, to accept the statements of. Labels: transitive Example: take her word for it Example: take him at his word 44. To assume or suppose; to reckon; to regard or consider. Labels: transitive Example: I took him to be a person of honor. Example: He was often taken to be a man of means. 45. To draw, derive, or deduce (a meaning from something). Labels: transitive Example: take it from her comments she won't be there. Example: I'm not sure what moral to take from that story. 46. To derive (as a title); to obtain from a source. Labels: transitive Example: "As I Lay Dying" takes its title from Book XI of Homer's "Odyssey" Example: The benign or milder Species takes its Originall from a bilious hot ſerum: the other is commonly ſaid to proceed from Aduſtion in the Bloud, with a mixture of Choler or ſalt Phlegm. 47. To catch or contract (an illness, etc.). Labels: transitive Example: took a chill Example: to take cold 48. To come upon or catch (in a particular state or situation). Labels: transitive 49. To captivate or charm; to gain or secure the interest or affection of. Labels: transitive Example: took her fancy Example: took her attention 50. To absorb or be impregnated by (dye, ink, etc.); to be susceptible to being treated by (polish, etc.). Labels: transitive Example: cloth that takes dye well Example: The flu shot didn't take (on me). 51. To let in (water). Labels: transitive Example: The British brought the ship into Haifa harbor. The ship was taking seawater in 4 places, and the passengers had been without fresh water for the last few days of their voyage, with several ill from drinking seawater. 52. To require (a person, resource or thing in order to achieve an outcome). Labels: transitive Example: Looks like it's gonna take a taller person to get that down. Example: Finishing this on schedule will take a lot of overtime. 53. To proceed to fill. Labels: transitive Example: He took a seat in the front row. 54. To fill, occupy, require, or use up (space). Labels: transitive Example: His collection takes a lot of space. 55. To fill or require: to last or expend (an amount of time). Labels: transitive Example: Unloading the moving truck took us half a day, but this mess of a house will take us all weekend to tidy up. It takes ages to finish house moving! Example: Hunting that whale takes most of his free time. 56. To avail oneself of; to exploit. Labels: transitive Example: He took that opportunity to leave France. Example: When that happened, he almost gave up the idea of asking what he had come to ask. But then the opportunity arose, and he took it, then waited breathlessly for her answer. 57. To practice; perform; execute; carry out; do. Labels: transitive Example: take a walk Example: take action/steps/measures to fight drug abuse 58. To assume or perform (a form or role). Labels: transitive Example: took the form of a duck Example: took shape 59. To assume or perform (a form or role). Labels: transitive Example: take the part of the villain/hero Example: When we play baseball, he always takes pitcher. 60. To assume or perform (a form or role). Labels: transitive Example: take office Example: take the throne 61. To bind oneself by. Labels: transitive Example: he took the oath of office last night Example: On this, they withdrew to a tenisground in the neighbourhood of Berſailles, as the moſt convenient place they could find, and, after renewing their ſeſſion, took an oath never to ſeparate from each other, under any circumſtance whatever, death excepted, until they had eſtabliſhed a conſtitution. 62. To go into, through, or along. Labels: transitive Example: go down two blocks and take the next left Example: take the path of least resistance 63. To go into, through, or along. Labels: transitive Example: the witness took the stand Example: the next team took the field 64. To have and use one's recourse to. Labels: transitive Example: take cover/shelter/refuge 65. To ascertain or determine by measurement, examination or inquiry. Labels: transitive Example: take her pulse / temperature / blood pressure Example: take a census 66. To write down; to get in, or as if in, writing. Labels: transitive Example: He took a mental inventory of his supplies. Example: She took careful notes. 67. To make (a photograph, film, or other reproduction of something). Labels: transitive Example: She took a video of their encounter. Example: Could you take a picture of us? 68. To make a picture, photograph, etc. of (a person, scene, etc.). Labels: dated, transitive Example: The photographer will take you sitting down. Example: to take a group/scene 69. To obtain money from, especially by swindling. Labels: transitive Example: took me for ten grand 70. To apply oneself to the study of. Labels: transitive Example: As a child, she took ballet. Example: Next semester, I plan to take math, physics, literature, and art history. 71. To deal with. Labels: transitive Example: take matters as they arise 72. To consider in a particular way, or to consider as an example. Labels: transitive Example: I've had a lot of problems recently: take last Monday, for example. My car broke down on the way to work. Then […] etc. 73. To decline to swing at (a pitched ball); to refrain from hitting at, and allow to pass. Labels: transitive Example: He'll probably take this one. 74. To accept as an input to a relation. Labels: transitive Example: This verb takes the dative; that verb takes the genitive. 75. To accept as an input to a relation. Labels: transitive Example: The function takes two arguments, an array of size n and an integer k. 76. To buy. Labels: Cyprus, informal, transitive Example: take a ticket 77. To get or accept (something) into one's possession. Labels: intransitive Example: My husband and I have a dysfunctional marriage. He just takes and takes; he never gives. 78. To engage, take hold or have effect. Labels: intransitive Example: And ſo likewiſe Flame percuſſing the Aire ſtrongly, (as when Flame ſuddenly taketh, and openeth,) giueth a Noiſe; So, Great Flames, whiles the one implelleth the other, giue a bellowing Sound. 79. To engage, take hold or have effect. Labels: intransitive, usually Example: I tried a mustache a couple years ago, but it didn't take. 80. To engage, take hold or have effect. Labels: intransitive, usually Example: the dye didn't take Example: Boiling pasta with a bit of the sauce in the water will help the sauce "take." 81. To engage, take hold or have effect. Labels: intransitive, usually Example: not all grafts take Example: I started some tomato seeds last spring, but they didn't take. 82. To engage, take hold or have effect. Labels: intransitive Example: At the depot, Hook climbed out, slamming the door twice before the latch took. A train idled on the main track, the engine hissing as it waited for the crew change. From the windows, passengers watched on at the world outside. 83. To engage, take hold or have effect. Labels: dated, intransitive, possibly Example: Each VVit may praiſe it, for his ovvn dear Sake, / And hint He vvrit it, if the Thing ſhou'd take. Example: Here was only cruelty and pain; where was the loving side of Christianity? "When I was young," I said, "I was vaccinated with religion, but the vaccination didn't take." 84. To become; to be affected in a specified way. Labels: copulative, intransitive Example: They took ill within 3 hours. Example: She took sick with the flu. 85. To be able to be accurately or beautifully photographed. Labels: dated, intransitive, possibly Example: 'Photographs never do give anything but a pale imitation, you know, but the likenesses, as likenesses, are good. She "takes well" as they say, and those were done lately.' 86. An intensifier. Labels: dialectal, intransitive, proscribed Example: I don't know but she would, but just then poor Sukey came in, and looked so frightened and scarey—Sukey is a pretty gal, and looks so trembling and delicate, that it's kinder a shame to plague her, and so I took and come away for that time. Example: Speed-the-Plough lurched round on his elbow and regarded him indifferently. "Moighty foin, that be! D'ye call that Doctrin'? He bean't al'ays, or I shoon't be scrapin' my heels wi' nothin' to do, and what's warse, nothin' to eat. Why, look heer. Luck 's luck, and bad luck's the con-trary. Varmer Bollop, t'other day, has's rick burnt down. Next night his gran'ry's burnt. What do he tak' and go and do? He takes, and goes, and hangs unsel', and turns us out o' 'ploy. God warn't above the Devil then, I thinks, or I can't make out the reckonin'." 87. To deliver, bring, give (something) to (someone). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: Jeſus perceaved there wylynes ãd ſayde: Why tempte ye me ye ypocrytes: lett me ſe the tribute money. And they toke hym a peny. 88. To give or deliver (a blow, to someone); to strike or hit. Labels: dialectal, obsolete, slang, transitive Example: He took me a blow on the head. 89. To visit; to include in a course of travel. Labels: archaic Example: Now about a Year ſince, R. B. and B. F. took that City in the Way from Frederickſtadt to Amſterdam, and gave them a Viſit: In which they informed them ſomewhat of Friend's Principles, and recommended the Teſtimony of TRUTH to them, as both a nearer and more certain Thing than the utmoſt of De Labadie's Doctrine. They left them tender and loving. Example: But it seems that he did not attend to this circumstance at present; for in May, he set out again for Epworth, and took Manchester in his way, to see his friend Mr. Clayton, who had now left Oxford. 90. To portray in a painting. Labels: obsolete, rare Example: Beauty alone could beauty take ſo right: / Her dreſs, her ſhape, her matchleſs grace, / Were all obferv'd, as well as heavenly face. 91. Used in phrasal verbs: take in, take off, take on, take out, take to, take something to, take up.