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c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) v. l. 1844 (MED) I Troye lond forsook And þe water with my shippes took.

1548 W. Patten Exped. Scotl. D iij b This thus apointed, my lorde Admirall rode back to take the water agayne.

1592 Arden of Feversham sig. D^v Sirra Shakbag, at his comming foorth Ile runne him through, and then to the blackfreers, And there take water and a way.

1637 J. Shirley Lady of Pleasure iv. sig. H A coach will easily convey it, or You may take water at strand bridge.

1650 J. Trapp Clavis to Bible (Num. xxxii. 23) 69 Taking water, with purpose to sail into Flanders.

1708 Constitutions Company Watermen & Lightermen 81 None plying the Long-Ferry shall ply one about to take Water with another, except, &c.

a1754 T. Carte Gen. Hist. Eng. (1755) IV. 50 Stukely agreeing to go with him, they took water: but were seized in the way to Gravesend.

1793 T. Hastings Regal Rambler 91 He took water at the Temple-stairs.

1856 A. C. Coxe Impressions of Eng. (ed. 2) v. 37 In company with a friend, I next ‘took water’ at Westminster bridge, for a trip down the river.

1889 M. Oliphant Poor Gentleman I. vi. 93 The boating parties that ‘took the water’ there.

1997 J. Dessau Take Now, pay Later viii. 203 Immediately, at dawn of the next day, Sir Ralph Winwood and his fellow-Commissioners, took water at Westminster for Henley-on-Thames.

1485 W. Caxton tr. Thystorye & Lyf Charles the Grete sig. hv/1 Rychard..made the sygne of the crosse vpon his body..and soo toke the water & folowed the hert.

1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde iii. iv. f. 104^v They mette sumtymes with Crocodiles lyinge on the sandes, the whiche when they fled, or tooke the water, they lefte a very sweete sauour behynde them.

1578 J. Polemon All Famous Battels 254 The boates began to take the water, to transport the French souldiours.

1605 G. Chapman et al. Eastward Hoe iii. sig. D3 Did you see the new Ship lancht last day... I warrant, here will be double as many people to see her take coach, as there were to see it take water.

a1676 M. Hale Primitive Originat. Mankind (1677) ii. vii. 202 As to the Water-Fowls, the difficulty is less, for they can and do supply the weariness of a long flight by taking Water.

1734 Philos. Trans. Abridged 1719–33 (Royal Soc.) 6 439 [Men of War] take the Water perpendicularly, and enter far enough not to miss it.

1766 C. Anstey New Bath Guide 38 Oh 'twas pretty to see them all put on their Flannels, And then take the Water like so many Spaniels.

1852 C. W. Webber Romance Nat. Hist. 519 The other dog had brought down an enormous old buck, which took water at the same time near him.

1875 Town & Country Jrnl. (Sydney) 8 May 743/3 When the boats took water, the Cambridge crew rowed a quicker stroke than their opponents.

1891 New Review Aug. 167 I..lay to to see it take the water, as its evident intention was to cross to the mainland.

1901 Scotsman 7 Mar. 5/6 Launch of the cruiser Kent... The vessel took the water without a hitch.

1925 Forest & Stream Nov. 648/1 A very odd happening was brought about on one occasion by this tendency of wounded deer to take the water.

1976 New Scientist 18 Nov. 387/3 (caption) The first prototype of the duck design that should take the water in Loch Ness next April.

1993 L. McMurtry Streets of Laredo ii. ii. 246 Rarely had she needed to strike her horse, but this morning, when he refused to take the water, she beat him with all her strength.

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement f. cclxxiv/1 I Lade I take in water as a shyp or bote that is nat staunched, Ie boy de leaue.

1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde i. iii. f. 229^v One of theyr shyppes leaked and toke water very sore.

1590 ‘Pasquil’ First Pt. Pasquils Apol. sig. D2^v The rest of his reasons haue taken water, and are rotten before they come to shore.

1640 Bp. J. Hall Episcopacie ii. xx. 202 All the rest are easily freed; St. Jerome and St. Ambrose in the opinion of some seem to take in water.

1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 97 It [sc. a Barrel of Gun-powder] had taken Water, and the Powder was cak'd as hard as a Stone.

1777 Weekly Misc. 10 Feb. 451 It [sc. a canoe] took water every where, and I was forced to lose two whole hours to repair it.

1843 Jrnl. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 12 ii. 777 Sympiesometer 29.22. and falling; blowing a hard gale, pitching hard, and taking water on deck.

1864 Amer. Ann. Cycl. 1863 III. 670/2 The fire in her forehold burst out again, and the engineers reported the ship taking in water rapidly.

1908 M. A. Grainger Woodsmen of West xxxi. 181 The boat took water over both low-sunk sides at once.

1942 Sun (Baltimore) 30 Nov. 10/3 By this time, we were rapidly taking on water... One of our cruisers offered to sink the ship if I thought it was advisable.

1990 Lifeboat Spring 226/2 The barge had been driven aground and was taking water.

2001 Time 22 Jan. 26/2 Aides were slow to notice that the Ashcroft nomination was taking on water.

2008 C. M. Paratore Funeral Director's Son xvi. 102 The waves got higher and higher, the boat was taking water, but they kept at it till the whole catch was in.

1846 Arkansas Democrat 2 Oct. The Advertiser need be under no apprehensions in reference to ‘that corrupt clique’. We have already ‘rooted’ it out; and its members are all ‘taking water’, as rapidly as did a certain herd of swine.

1849 Fort Wayne (Indiana) Times 15 Nov. When manfully confronted by Breeze, he ‘backed out’, ‘took water’, ‘mizzled’, and said he never meant it.

1853 J. G. Baldwin Flush Times Alabama & Mississippi 275 ‘If it please your honor, I believe I will take water’ (a common expression, signifying that the person using it would take a nonsuit).

1891 C. Roberts Adrift in Amer. 200 The fellow, who was really a coward, though nearly twice as big as myself, took water at once.

1910 Overland Monthly Oct. 383/1 Old hands forgot to draw at the critical moment, but stood with dropped chins and ‘took water’.

1991 W. W. Johnstone Code of Mountain Man i. 15 He'd been a bully all his life, and folks usually backed up and took water when he prodded them.