Definition of 'take'
Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense takes, present participle taking, past tense took, past participle takenTake is used in combination with a wide range of nouns, where the meaning of the combinationis mostly given by the noun. Many of these combinations are common idiomatic expressionswhose meanings can be found at the appropriate nouns. For example, the expressiontake care is explained at care.
1. verb
2. verb
In ordinary spoken or written English, people use take with a range of nouns instead of using a more specific verb. For example people oftensay 'he took control' or 'she took a positive attitude' instead of 'he assumed control' or 'she adopted a positive attitude'.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense takes, present participle taking, past tense took, past participle taken
1. verb
If you take something, you reach out for it and hold it.
3. verb
If a person, vehicle, or path takes someone somewhere, they transport or lead them there.
4. verb
If something such as a job or interest takes you to a place, it is the reason for you going there.
He was a poor student from Madras whose genius took him to Cambridge. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
5. verb
6. verb
If one thing takes another to a particular level, condition, or state, it causes it to reach that level or condition.
A combination of talent, hard work and good looks have taken her to the top. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
The managing director had given himself a pay rise of 20%, taking his salary to £220,000. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
7. verb
If you take something from a place, you remove it from there.
8. verb
If you take something from someone who owns it, you steal it or go away with it without theirpermission.
9. verb
If an army or political party takes something or someone, they win them from their enemy or opponent.
10. verb
11. verb [no passive]
12. verb
13. verb [no passive]
If something takes a certain amount of time, that amount of time is needed in order to do it.
It takes 15 minutes to convert the plane into a car by removing the wings and thetail. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
14. verb [no passive]
If something takes a particular quality or thing, that quality or thing is needed in order to do it.
It takes the bark of three whole trees to make enough of the drug to treat a singlepatient. [it VERB noun to-infinitive]
It takes a pretty bad level of performance before the teachers will criticize thestudents. [VERB noun]
15. verb
If you take something that is given or offered to you, you agree to accept it.
16. verb
17. verb
If a shop, restaurant, theatre, or other business takes a certain amount of money, they get that amount from people buying goods or services.
[mainly British, business]regional note: in AM, usually use take in18. singular noun
You can use take to refer to the amount of money that a business such as a store or theatre gets fromselling its goods or tickets during a particular period.
[mainly US, business]regional note: in BRIT, usually use takings 23. verb
If you take something in a particular way, you react in the way mentioned to a situation or to someone's beliefs or behaviour.
24. verb [usually imper]
You use take when you are discussing or explaining a particular question, in order to introduce an example or to say how the questionis being considered.
You can attack this problem from many angles, but let's take one thing at a time. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
26. verb
If you take someone for something, you believe wrongly that they are that thing.
27. verb
If you take something from among a number of things, you choose to have or buy it.
28. verb
If you take a road or route, you choose to travel along it.
29. verb
If you take a house or flat, you rent it, usually for only a short time.
30. verb
If you take something such as a newspaper, you buy it or have it delivered to your home on aregular basis.
[mainly British]32. verb
If you take a subject or course at school or university, you choose to study it.
34. verb
[mainly British]
35. verb
If someone takes drugs, pills, or other medicines, they take them into their body, for example by swallowing them.
36. verb
If you take food or drink, you eat or drink it.
37. verb
If you take a note or a letter, you write down something you want to remember or the words that someone says.
38. verb
If you take a particular measurement, you use special equipment to find out what something measures.
39. verb [no passive]
If a place or container takes a particular amount or number, there is enough space for that amount or number.
40. verb
If you take a particular size in shoes or clothes, that size fits you.
41. verb
If something such as a drug or a dye takes, it has the effect or result that is intended.
42. countable noun
A take is a short piece of action which is filmed in one continuous process for a cinema or television film.
43. singular noun
Someone's take on a particular situation or fact is their attitude to it or their interpretation ofit.
44.
See I take it
45.
See take it from me
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
52. to take up arms
usage note: Take and bring are both used to talk about carrying something or accompanying someone somewhere,but take is used to suggest movement away from the speaker, and bring is used to suggest movement towards the speaker. Anna took the book to school with her... Bring your calculator to every lesson. In the first sentence, took suggests that Anna left the speaker when she went to school. In the second sentence,bring suggests that the person and the calculator should come to the place where the speakeris. You could also say 'Anna brought the book to school with her' to suggest thatAnna and the speaker were both at school, and 'Take your calculator to every lesson'to suggest that the speaker will not be not present at the lesson.Phrasal verbs:
See take after
See take against
See take apart
See take away
See take away from
See take back
See take down
See take in
See take off
See take on
See take out
See take out on
See take over
See take to
See take up
See take up on
See take upon
See take up with
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation oftake
Word Frequency
take in British English 1
verbWord forms: takes, taking, took or taken (mainly tr)
1. (also intr)
to gain possession of (something) by force or effort
2.
to appropriate or steal
to take other people's belongings
3.
to receive or accept into a relationship with oneself
to take a wife
4.
to pay for or buy
6.
to receive or obtain by regular payment
we take a newspaper every day
8.
to obtain or derive from a source
he took his good manners from his older brother
9.
to assume the obligations of
to take office
11.
to adopt as a symbol of duty, obligation, etc
to take the veil
13.
to adopt as one's own
to take someone's part in a quarrel
14.
to receive and make use of
to take advice
16.
to eat, drink, etc, esp habitually
to take sugar in one's tea
17.
to have or be engaged in for one's benefit or use
to take a rest
18.
to work at or study
to take economics at college
19.
to make, do, or perform (an action)
to take a leap
20.
to make use of
to take an opportunity
21.
to put into effect; adopt
to take measures
23.
to act or perform
she takes the part of the Queen
24.
to write down or copy
to take notes
25.
to experience or feel
to take pride in one's appearance
to take offence
26.
to consider, believe, or regard
I take him to be honest
28.
to hold or maintain in the mind
his father took a dim view of his career
30.
to use as a particular case
take hotels for example
31. (intransitive; often foll by from)
the actor's bad performance took from the effect of the play
33. (intransitive)
to have or produce the intended effect; succeed
her vaccination took
the glue is taking well
34. (intransitive)
(of seeds, plants, etc) to start growing successfully
35.
to aim or direct
he took a swipe at his opponent
36.
to deal a blow to in a specified place
37. archaic
to have sexual intercourse with
38.
to carry off or remove from a place
39.
to carry along or have in one's possession
don't forget to take your umbrella
40.
to convey or transport
the train will take us out of the city
41.
to use as a means of transport
I shall take the bus
42.
to conduct or lead
this road takes you to the station
44.
to bring or deliver to a state, position, etc
his ability took him to the forefront in his field
45.
to go to look for; seek
to take cover
46.
to take a pulse
take a reading from a dial
47. (intransitive)
(of a mechanism) to catch or engage (a part)
48.
to put an end to; destroy
she took her own life
49.
to come upon unexpectedly; discover
50.
to contract
he took a chill
51.
to affect or attack
the fever took him one night
53. (also intr)
to absorb or become absorbed by something
to take a polish
55. (intransitive)
to be or become popular; win favour
56.
to require or need
this job will take a lot of attention
that task will take all your time
58.
to hold or contain
the suitcase won't take all your clothes
61. (often foll by to)
to use or employ
to take steps to ascertain the answer
62.
to win or capture (a trick, counter, piece, etc)
65. take amiss
67. take care
68. take care of
69. take chances
70. take five
71. take heart
72. take it
73. take one's time
74. take place
noun
77.
the act of taking
78.
the number of quarry killed or captured on one occasion
79. informal, mainly US
the amount of anything taken, esp money
80. cinema, music
a.
one of a series of recordings from which the best will be selected for release
b.
the process of taking one such recording
c.
a scene or part of a scene photographed without interruption
82. printing
83. informal
a try or attempt
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
takable (ˈtakable) or takeable (ˈtakeable) adjective
Word origin
Old English tacan, from Old Norse taka; related to Gothic tekan to touchWord Frequency
take in British English 2
noun
New Zealand
a topic or cause
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
MāoriWord Frequency
take in American English
verb transitiveWord forms: took, ˈtaken, ˈtaking
1. to get possession of by force or skill; seize, grasp, catch, capture, win, etc.
a.
to get by conquering; capture; seize
c.
a.
to win (a game, a trick at cards, etc.)
d.
to get hold of; grasp or catch
e.
to hit (a person) in or on some part
f.
to affect; attack
taken with a fit
h.
to capture the fancy of; charm
2. to get by action not involving force or skill; obtain, acquire, assume, etc.
a.
to get into one's hand or hold; transfer to oneself
b.
to eat, drink, swallow, etc. for nourishment or as medicine
d.
to get benefit from by exposure to (the air, sun, etc.)
e.
to enter into a special relationship with
to take a wife
f.
to have sexual intercourse with
g.
to buy
he took the first suit he tried on
h.
to rent, lease, or pay for so as to occupy or use
to take a cottage
i.
to get regularly by paying for
to take a daily newspaper
j.
to assume as a responsibility, task, etc.
to take a job
k.
to assume or adopt (a symbol of duty or office)
the president took the chair
m.
to join or associate oneself with (one party or side in a contest, disagreement, etc.)
n.
to assume as if granted or due one
to take the blame, to take deductions
o. Slang
to cheat; trick
p. Grammar
to have or admit of according to usage, nature, etc.; be used with in construction
a transitive verb takes an object
3. to get, adopt, use, etc. by selection or choice
a.
to choose; select
b.
to use or employ; resort to
to take a mop to the floor
c.
a.
to travel by
to take a bus
b.
to set out on; follow
to take the old path
e.
to deal with; consider
to take a matter seriously
g.
to require; demand; need
often used impersonally it takes money; to take a size ten
4. to get from a source
a.
to derive, inherit, or draw (a name, quality, etc.) from something or someone specified
c.
to take a poll, to take one's temperature
d.
to study; specif., to be enrolled as a student in
to take an art course
e.
to write down; copy
take notes
f.
a.
to make (a photograph, picture, etc.)
5. to get as offered or due; receive, accept, suffer, etc.
a.
to win (a prize, reward, etc.)
b.
to be the object of; undergo or endure
to take punishment
d.
to accept (something offered)
to take a bet, to take advice
e.
to have a specified reaction to
to take a joke in earnest
f.
to confront and get over, through, etc.
the horse took the jump
g.
to be affected by (a disease, etc.)
to take cold
h.
to absorb; become impregnated or treated with (a dye, polish, etc.)
6. to receive mentally
a.
a.
to understand the remarks of (a person)
b.
to comprehend the meaning of (words or remarks)
c.
to understand or interpret in a specified way
c.
to have or feel (an emotion or mental state)
take pity, take notice
d.
to hold and act upon (an idea, point of view, etc.)
7. to make or complete by action
a.
to do; perform (an act)
to take a walk
b.
8. to move, remove, etc.
a.
to be the way or means of going to (a place, condition, etc.); conduct; lead
the path takes you to the river
b.
to escort or accompany
to take a friend to dinner
c.
to carry or transport
to take a book with one
d.
to remove from a person, thing, or place; specif., to steal
e.
to remove by death; bring to an end
cancer takes many lives
f.
to subtract
to take two from ten
g.
to direct or move (oneself)
verb intransitive
9.
to get possession
10.
to hook or engage with another part
said of a mechanical device11.
to take root; begin growing
said of a plant12.
to lay hold; catch
the fire took rapidly
13.
to gain public favor; be popular
14.
to be effective in action, operation, desired result, etc.
the vaccination took; the dye takes well
15.
to remove a part; detract (from)
nothing took from the scene's beauty
18. Informal
to be photographed in a specified way
she takes well in profile
19. Law
to take possession of property
noun
20.
the act or process of taking
21.
something that has been taken
22.
a.
the amount or quantity of something taken
the day's take of fish
23.
a vaccination that takes
24. Cinema
a.
an uninterrupted shot photographed by a camera
b.
the process of photographing such a shot
25.
a.
any of a series of recordings or tapes of a performance, from which one will be madefor release to the public
b.
the process of so recording
27. Printing
the amount of copy sent to the compositor at one time
SIMILAR WORDS: bring, reˈceive
Idioms:
SYNONYMY NOTE: take is the general word meaning to get hold of by or as by the hands [to take a book, the opportunity, etc.]; to seize is to take suddenly and forcibly [he seized the gun from the robber; to seize power]; grasp implies a seizing and holding firmly [to grasp a rope, an idea, etc.]; clutch1 implies a tight or convulsive grasping of that which one is eager to take or keephold of [she clutched his hand in terror]; grab implies a roughness or unscrupulousness in seizing [the child grabbed all the candy; to grab credit]; snatch stresses an abrupt quickness and, sometimes, a surreptitiousness in seizing [she snatched the letter from my hand; to snatch a purse]Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 byHoughton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
takable (ˈtakable) adjective or ˈtakeable
Word origin
ME taken < OE tacan < ON taka < ? IE base *dēg-, to lay hold ofWord Frequency
take in Retail
(teɪk)
noun
(Retail: Customer accounts)
The take from a business activity is the profit or money earned from that activity.
He was fairly satisfied with the take from an afternoon's sales.
The promotion has increased the take for the whole department.
The take from a business activity is the profit or money earned from that activity.
COBUILD Key Words for Retail. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Examples of 'take' in a sentencetake
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Trends oftake
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In other languagestake
British English: take /teɪk/ VERB
travel in If you take a vehicle, you ride in it from one place to another.
We took the bus to school.
- American English: take
- Arabic: يَأْخُذُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: pegar
- Chinese: 拿取
- Croatian: putovati
- Czech: svézt se tramvají apod.
- Danish: tage
- Dutch: nemen
- European Spanish: ir
- Finnish: ottaa
- French: prendre
- German: nehmen
- Greek: παίρνω
- Italian: prendere
- Japanese: 手に取る
- Korean: ...을 가져가다
- Norwegian: ta
- Polish: zabrać
- European Portuguese: apanhar
- Romanian: a circula
- Russian: брать
- Latin American Spanish: llevar
- Swedish: ta
- Thai: นั่งรถ
- Turkish: almak
- Ukrainian: користуватися
- Vietnamese: lái mang đi
British English: take /teɪk/ VERB
carry If you take something, you move it or carry it.
She took the plates into the kitchen.
- American English: take
- Arabic: يَأْخُدُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: levar
- Chinese: 拿
- Croatian: odnijeti
- Czech: vzít si
- Danish: tage
- Dutch: dragen
- European Spanish: llevar
- Finnish: ottaa
- French: prendre
- German: nehmen
- Greek: παίρνω
- Italian: portare
- Japanese: ･･･を持っていく
- Korean: 가지고 가다
- Norwegian: ta
- Polish: wziąć
- European Portuguese: levar
- Romanian: a lua
- Russian: нести
- Latin American Spanish: llevar
- Swedish: ta med
- Thai: นำไป
- Turkish: götürmek
- Ukrainian: брати
- Vietnamese: lấy
British English: take /teɪk/ VERB
steal If you take something that does not belong to you, you steal it.
Someone took all our money.
- American English: take
- Arabic: يَأْخُدُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: roubar
- Chinese: 偷
- Croatian: ukrasti
- Czech: vzítukrást
- Danish: tage
- Dutch: nemen
- European Spanish: robar
- Finnish: viedä
- French: prendre
- German: stehlen
- Greek: αρπάζω
- Italian: prendere
- Japanese: ･･･を盗む
- Korean: 가져가다
- Norwegian: ta
- Polish: zabrać
- European Portuguese: roubar
- Romanian: a fura
- Russian: украсть
- Latin American Spanish: tomarsin permiso
- Swedish: ta
- Thai: ขโมย
- Turkish: almak
- Ukrainian: красти
- Vietnamese: lấy cắp
Nearby words oftake
Source
Definition of take from theCollins English Dictionary
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