take

noun

continuous recorded performance
a distinct point of view, opinion, perspective, position, or assessment

L18722 on Wikidata ↗

verb

experience, undergo, or endure.
to take after; resemble, be hereditarily similar
to choose a public location or throughway as a place to congregate or enact a course of action
acquire possession of something
to reach for and hold with ones hand
need, requiring
understand to be
cause (to be)
swindle/rob someone of something
to take by surprise (or some other manner (e.g., storm)
to become fond of

L3041 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈteɪ̯k/ / [ˈtʰeɪ̯k] / /ˈteːk/

noun

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”).

The or an act of taking.
“The 1994 Amendments address the incidental take of marine mammals in the course of commercial fishing, not the direct lethal take of pinnipeds for management purposes.”
“'I saw you in Norfolk doing twenty-odd takes with that fisherman chap and it looked perfect in the rushes.'”
Something that is taken; a haul.
“Why would anyone go along with such things? Money is still the main answer: Almost all prominent climate deniers are on the fossil-fuel take.”
“He wants half of the take if he helps with the job.”
Something that is taken; a haul.
An interpretation or view, opinion or assessment; perspective; a statement expressing such a position.
“What's your take on this issue, Fred?”
“Another unsolicited maths take: talking about quotients in terms of "equivalence classes" or cosets is really unnatural.”
An approach, a (distinct) treatment.
“a new take on a traditional dish”
“Whatever the provenance, the result is a delightfully novel take on a stalwart, often deadening Victorian feature.”
A scene recorded (filmed) at one time, without an interruption or break; a recording of such a scene.
“It's a take.”
“Act seven, scene three, take two.”
A recording of a musical performance made during an uninterrupted single recording period.
A visible (facial) response to something, especially something unexpected; a facial gesture in response to an event.
“did a double take and then a triple take”
“I did a take when I saw the new car in the driveway.”
An instance of successful inoculation/vaccination.
A catch of the ball (in cricket, especially one by the wicket-keeper).
The quantity of copy given to a compositor at one time.
“When the copy arrives, it is taken in hand by the printer, who first of all divides it into "takes" or short portions, distributing these among the various compositors. A take usually consists of a little more than a stickful of matter, but it varies sometimes, for if a new paragraph occurs it is not overlooked. These takes are carefully numbered, and a list is kept of the compositors who take the several pieces.”

verb

To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
“They took Charlton's gun from his cold, dead hands.”
“I'll take that plate off the table.”
To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
“take the guards prisoner”
“take prisoners”
To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
“took ten catfish in one afternoon”
“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.”
To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
“Billy took her pencil.”
To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
“take a toll”
“take revenge”
To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
“took the next two tricks”
“took Smith's rook”
To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given).
“took third place”
“took bribes”
To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given).
“The store doesn't take checks.”
“She wouldn't take any money for her help.”
To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given).
“take my advice”
“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.”
To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given).
“take a wife”
“The school only takes new students in the fall.”
To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given).
“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.”
To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given).
“He took all the credit for the project, although he had done almost none of the work.”
“She took the blame, in the public's eyes, although the debacle was more her husband's fault than her own.”
To remove.
“take two eggs from the carton”
“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.”
To remove.
“The earthquake took many lives.”
“The plague took rich and poor alike.”
To remove.
“Take one from three and you are left with two.”
To have sex with.
“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.”
“I wonder what it would feel like to take two cocks at the same time.”
To defeat (someone or something) in a fight.
“Don't try to take that guy. He's bigger than you.”
“The woman guarding us looks like a professional, but I can take her!”
To grasp or grip.
“He took her hand in his.”
“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.”
To select or choose; to pick.
“Take whichever bag you like.”
“She took the best men with her and left the rest to garrison the city.”
To select or choose; to pick.
“She took his side in every argument.”
“take a stand on the important issues”
To carry or lead (something or someone).
“She took her sword with her everywhere she went.”
“I'll take the plate with me.”
To carry or lead (something or someone).
“The next bus will take you to Metz.”
“I took him for a ride”
To carry or lead (something or someone).
“These stairs take you down to the basement.”
“Stone Street took us right past the store.”
To carry or lead (something or someone).
“She took the steps two or three at a time.”
“He took the curve / corner too fast.”
To carry or lead (something or someone).
“He took her to lunch at the new restaurant, took her to the movies, and then took her home.”
“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!”
To carry or lead (something or someone).
“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.”
To use as a means of transportation.
“take the ferry”
“I took a plane.”
To obtain for use by payment or lease.
“She took a condo at the beach for the summer.”
“He took a full-page ad in the Times.”
To obtain for use by payment or lease.
“They took two magazines.”
“I used to take The Sunday Times.”
To receive (medicine or drugs) into one's body, e.g. by inhalation or swallowing; to ingest.
“take two of these and call me in the morning”
“take the blue pill”
To consume (food or drink).
“The general took dinner at seven o'clock.”
“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.”
To undergo; to put oneself into, to be subjected to.
“take sun-baths”
“take a shower”
To experience or feel.
“She takes pride in her work.”
“I take offence at that.”
To submit to; to endure (without ill humor, resentment, or physical failure).
“took a pay cut”
“take a joke”
To suffer; to endure (a hardship or damage).
“The ship took a direct hit and was destroyed.”
“Her career took a hit.”
To participate in.
“She took a vacation to France but spent the whole time feeling miserable that her husband couldn't be there with her.”
“Aren't you supposed to take your math final today?”
To cause to change to a specified state or condition.
“He had to take it apart to fix it.”
“She took down her opponent in two minutes.”
To regard in a specified way.
“He took the news badly.”
“Not unnaturally, "Auntie" took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago.”
To conclude or form (a decision or an opinion) in the mind.
“took the decision to close its last remaining outlet”
“took a dim view of city officials”
To understand (especially in a specified way).
“Don't take my comments as an insult.”
“if she took my meaning”
To believe, to accept the statements of.
“take her word for it”
“take him at his word”
To assume or suppose; to reckon; to regard or consider.
“I took him to be a person of honor.”
“He was often taken to be a man of means.”
To draw, derive, or deduce (a meaning from something).
“take it from her comments she won't be there.”
“I'm not sure what moral to take from that story.”
To derive (as a title); to obtain from a source.
“"As I Lay Dying" takes its title from Book XI of Homer's "Odyssey"”
“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.”
To catch or contract (an illness, etc.).
“took a chill”
“to take cold”
To come upon or catch (in a particular state or situation).
To captivate or charm; to gain or secure the interest or affection of.
“took her fancy”
“took her attention”
To absorb or be impregnated by (dye, ink, etc.); to be susceptible to being treated by (polish, etc.).
“cloth that takes dye well”
“The flu shot didn't take (on me).”
To let in (water).
“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.”
To require (a person, resource or thing in order to achieve an outcome).
“Looks like it's gonna take a taller person to get that down.”
“Finishing this on schedule will take a lot of overtime.”
To proceed to fill.
“He took a seat in the front row.”
To fill, occupy, require, or use up (space).
“His collection takes a lot of space.”
To fill or require: to last or expend (an amount of time).
“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!”
“Hunting that whale takes most of his free time.”
To avail oneself of; to exploit.
“He took that opportunity to leave France.”
“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.”
To practice; perform; execute; carry out; do.
“take a walk”
“take action/steps/measures to fight drug abuse”
To assume or perform (a form or role).
“took the form of a duck”
“took shape”
To assume or perform (a form or role).
“take the part of the villain/hero”
“When we play baseball, he always takes pitcher.”
To assume or perform (a form or role).
“take office”
“take the throne”
To bind oneself by.
“he took the oath of office last night”
“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.”
To go into, through, or along.
“go down two blocks and take the next left”
“take the path of least resistance”
To go into, through, or along.
“the witness took the stand”
“the next team took the field”
To have and use one's recourse to.
“take cover/shelter/refuge”
To ascertain or determine by measurement, examination or inquiry.
“take her pulse / temperature / blood pressure”
“take a census”
To write down; to get in, or as if in, writing.
“He took a mental inventory of his supplies.”
“She took careful notes.”
To make (a photograph, film, or other reproduction of something).
“She took a video of their encounter.”
“Could you take a picture of us?”
To make a picture, photograph, etc. of (a person, scene, etc.).
“The photographer will take you sitting down.”
“to take a group/scene”
To obtain money from, especially by swindling.
“took me for ten grand”
To apply oneself to the study of.
“As a child, she took ballet.”
“Next semester, I plan to take math, physics, literature, and art history.”
To deal with.
“take matters as they arise”
To consider in a particular way, or to consider as an 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.”
To decline to swing at (a pitched ball); to refrain from hitting at, and allow to pass.
“He'll probably take this one.”
To accept as an input to a relation.
“This verb takes the dative; that verb takes the genitive.”
To accept as an input to a relation.
“The function takes two arguments, an array of size n and an integer k.”
To buy.
“take a ticket”
To get or accept (something) into one's possession.
“My husband and I have a dysfunctional marriage. He just takes and takes; he never gives.”
To engage, take hold or have effect.
“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.”
To engage, take hold or have effect.
“the dye didn't take”
“Boiling pasta with a bit of the sauce in the water will help the sauce "take."”
To engage, take hold or have effect.
“not all grafts take”
“I started some tomato seeds last spring, but they didn't take.”
To engage, take hold or have effect.
“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.”
To engage, take hold or have effect.
“Each VVit may praiſe it, for his ovvn dear Sake, / And hint He vvrit it, if the Thing ſhou'd take.”
“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."”
To become; to be affected in a specified way.
“They took ill within 3 hours.”
“She took sick with the flu.”
To be able to be accurately or beautifully photographed.
“'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.'”
An intensifier.
“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.”
“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'."”
To deliver, bring, give (something) to (someone).
“Jeſus perceaved there wylynes ãd ſayde: Why tempte ye me ye ypocrytes: lett me ſe the tribute money. And they toke hym a peny.”
To give or deliver (a blow, to someone); to strike or hit.
“He took me a blow on the head.”
To visit; to include in a course of travel.
“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.”
“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.”
To portray in a painting.
“Beauty alone could beauty take ſo right: / Her dreſs, her ſhape, her matchleſs grace, / Were all obferv'd, as well as heavenly face.”
Used in phrasal verbs: take in, take off, take on, take out, take to, take something to, take up.