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
You can use take followed by a noun to talk about an action or event, when it would also be possibleto use the verb that is related to that noun. For example, you can say 'she took a shower' instead of 'she showered'.
She was too tired to take a shower. [VERB noun]
Betty took a photograph of us. [VERB noun]
I've never taken a holiday since starting this job. [VERB noun]
There's not enough people willing to take the risk. [VERB noun]
Walk around the property and take a good look at it from the outside. [VERB noun]
We took a long walk through the pines. [VERB noun]
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'.
They took power after a three-month civil war. [VERB noun]
I felt it was important for women to join and take a leading role. [VERB noun]
The constitution requires members of parliament to take an oath of allegiance. [VERB noun]
In Asia the crisis took a different form. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of take
take other uses
(teɪk)
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.
Here, let me take your coat. [VERB noun]
Colette took her by the shoulders and shook her. [V n + by]
She took her in her arms and tried to comfort her. [VERB noun preposition]
Synonyms: grip, grab, seize, catch More Synonyms of take
2. verb
If you take something with you when you go somewhere, you carry it or have it with you.
Mark often took his books to Bess's house to study. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
I'll take these papers home and read them. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
You should take your passport with you when changing money. [VERB noun + with]
Don't forget to take your camera. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: carry, bring, bear, transport More Synonyms of take
3. verb
If a person, vehicle, or path takes someone somewhere, they transport or lead them there.
She took me to a Mexican restaurant. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
The school bus takes them to school and brings them back. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
She was taken to hospital. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: accompany, lead, bring, guide More Synonyms of take
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]
My work takes me abroad a lot. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
5. verb
If you take something such as your problems or your business to someone, you go to that personwhen you have problems you want to discuss or things you want to buy.
You need to take your problems to a trained counsellor. [VERB noun + to]
In a true market, the customer can take business elsewhere. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
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]
Her latest research takes her point further. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
7. verb
If you take something from a place, you remove it from there.
He took a handkerchief from his pocket and lightly wiped his mouth. [V n with prep/adv]
Opening a drawer, she took out a letter. [V n with prep/adv]
Synonyms: remove, draw, pull, fish More Synonyms of take
8. verb
If you take something from someone who owns it, you steal it or go away with it without theirpermission.
He has taken my money, and I have no chance of getting it back. [VERB noun]
The burglars took just about anything they could carry. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: steal, nick [slang, mainly British], appropriate, pocket More Synonyms of take
9. verb
If an army or political party takes something or someone, they win them from their enemy or opponent.
Rebel forces took the town. [VERB noun]
Marines went in, taking 15 prisoners. [VERB noun]
The party hopes to take the town from the Liberals. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: capture, arrest, seize, abduct More Synonyms of take
10. verb
If you take one number or amount from another, you subtract it or deduct it.
Take off the price of the house, that's another hundred thousand. [V n + off]
11. verb [no passive]
If you cannot take something difficult, painful, or annoying, you cannot tolerate it without becoming upset, ill, or angry.
Don't ever ask me to look after those kids again. I just can't take it! [VERB noun]
Harry's rudeness to everyone was becoming hard to take. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: tolerate, stand, bear, suffer More Synonyms of take
12. verb
If you take something such as damage or loss, you suffer it, especially in war or in a battle.
They have taken heavy casualties. [VERB noun]
13. verb [no passive]
If something takes a certain amount of time, that amount of time is needed in order to do it.
Since the roads are very bad, the journey took us a long time. [VERB noun noun]
I had heard an appeal could take years. [VERB noun]
The sauce takes 25 minutes to prepare and cook. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
The game took her less than an hour to finish. [V n n to-inf]
You must beware of those traps–you could take all day getting out of them. [VERB noun verb-ing]
It takes 15 minutes to convert the plane into a car by removing the wings and thetail. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
It had taken Masters about twenty hours to reach the house. [V n n to-inf]
It took thirty-five seconds for the hour to strike. [V n for n to-inf]
14. verb [no passive]
If something takes a particular quality or thing, that quality or thing is needed in order to do it.
At one time, walking across the room took all her strength. [VERB noun]
We want to get married and start a family and all. But that takes money. [VERB noun]
It takes courage to say what you think. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
It takes the bark of three whole trees to make enough of the drug to treat a singlepatient. [itVERB noun to-infinitive]
It takes a pretty bad level of performance before the teachers will criticize thestudents. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: require, need, involve, demand More Synonyms of take
15. verb
If you take something that is given or offered to you, you agree to accept it.
When I took the job I thought I could change the system, but it's hard. [VERB noun]
His sons took his advice. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: accept, assume, take on, undertake More Synonyms of take
16. verb
If you take a feeling such as pleasure, pride, or delight in a particular thing or activity, the thing or activity gives you that feeling.
They take great pride in their heritage. [VERB noun + in]
The government will take comfort from the latest opinion poll. [VERB noun + from]
Synonyms: draw, derive, feel, know More Synonyms of take
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]
The firm took £100,000 in bookings. [VERB amount]
regional note: in AM, usually use take in
Synonyms: earn, make, net, collect More Synonyms of take
18. 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]
It added another $11.8 million to the take, for a grand total of $43 million.
regional note: in BRIT, usually use takings
Synonyms: takings, profits, revenue, return More Synonyms of take
19. verb
If you take a prize or medal, you win it.
The film took first prize at the Sundance Film Festival. [VERB noun]
Christie took the gold medal in the 100 metres. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: win, get, be awarded, receive More Synonyms of take
20. verb
If you take the blame, responsibility, or credit for something, you agree to accept it.
He took the blame for getting it wrong. [VERB noun]
She's reluctant to take all the credit. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: receive, get, accept, be given More Synonyms of take
21. verb
If you take patients or clients, you accept them as your patients or clients.
Some universities would be forced to take more students than they wanted. [VERB noun]
They were told that Dr Albright wasn't taking any new patients. [VERB noun]
22. verb
If you take a phone call, you speak to someone who is phoning you.
Douglas phoned Catherine at her office. She refused to take his calls. [VERB noun]
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.
Unfortunately, no one took my messages seriously. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
Her mother had taken the news badly. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
I was determined to take the news in a calm and dignified manner.
Synonyms: respond to, meet, deal with, receive More Synonyms of take
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.
There's confusion and resentment. Take this office, for example. [VERB noun]
You can attack this problem from many angles, but let's take one thing at a time. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Taken in isolation these statements can be dangerous fallacies. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: consider, study, think about, examine More Synonyms of take
25. verb
If you take someone's meaning or point, you understand and accept what they are saying.
They've turned sensible, if you take my meaning. [VERB noun]
'I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying that's what happens.'—'I take your point.' [VERB noun]
Synonyms: understand, follow, comprehend, get More Synonyms of take
26. verb
If you take someone for something, you believe wrongly that they are that thing.
She had taken him for a journalist. [VERB noun + for]
Do you take me for an idiot? [VERB noun for noun]
I naturally took him to be the owner of the estate. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
27. verb
If you take something from among a number of things, you choose to have or buy it.
'I'll take the grilled tuna,' Mary Ann told the waiter. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: have, choose, pick, prefer More Synonyms of take
28. verb
If you take a road or route, you choose to travel along it.
From Wrexham centre take the Chester Road to the outskirts of town. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
He had to take a different route home. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
The road forked in two directions. He had obviously taken the wrong fork. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: travel, go, journey, walk More Synonyms of take
29. verb
If you take a house or flat, you rent it, usually for only a short time.
I have taken the cottage for a month. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: hire, book, rent, lease More Synonyms of take
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]
Before the Chronicle I used to take the Guardian. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: subscribe to, buy, read regularly, purchase More Synonyms of take
31. verb
If you take a car, train, bus, or plane, you use it to go from one place to another.
It's the other end of the High Street. We'll take the car, shall we? [VERB noun]
She took the train to New York every weekend. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
We'll take a taxi home. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: travel by, travel on, make use of, journey on More Synonyms of take
32. verb
If you take a subject or course at school or university, you choose to study it.
Students are allowed to take European history and American history. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: study, learn, be taught, do [informal] More Synonyms of take
33. verb
If you take a test or examination, you do it in order to obtain a qualification.
She took her driving test in Greenford. [VERB noun]
She travelled to India after taking her A levels. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: perform, have, do, make More Synonyms of take
34. verb
If you take someone for a subject, you give them lessons in that subject.
[mainly British]
The teacher who took us for economics was Miss Humphrey. [VERB noun + for]
35. verb
If someone takes drugs, pills, or other medicines, they take them into their body, for example by swallowing them.
She's been taking sleeping pills. [VERB noun]
I have never taken illegal drugs. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: ingest, consume, swallow, inhale More Synonyms of take
36. verb
If you take food or drink, you eat or drink it.
She made a habit of coming in to take tea with Nanny Crabtree. [VERB noun]
If you don't take milk, cheese or yoghurt, other sources of calcium are important.
37. verb
If you take a note or a letter, you write down something you want to remember or the words that someone says.
She sat expressionless, carefully taking notes. [VERB noun]
Take a letter, Miss Singleton. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: write, record, jot (down), note (down) More Synonyms of take
38. verb
If you take a particular measurement, you use special equipment to find out what something measures.
By drilling, geologists can take measurements at various depths. [VERB noun]
If he feels hotter than normal, take his temperature. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: measure, establish, determine, find out More Synonyms of take
39. verb [no passive]
If a place or container takes a particular amount or number, there is enough space for that amount or number.
The place could just about take 2,000 people. [VERB amount]
Synonyms: have room for, hold, contain, accommodate More Synonyms of take
40. verb
If you take a particular size in shoes or clothes, that size fits you.
47 per cent of men in the country take a size large or above. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: wear, need, require, fit More Synonyms of take
41. verb
If something such as a drug or a dye takes, it has the effect or result that is intended.
If the cortisone doesn't take, I may have to have surgery. [VERB]
Synonyms: work, succeed, do the trick [informal], have effect More Synonyms of take
42. countable noun
A take is a short piece of action which is filmed in one continuous process for a cinema or television film.
She couldn't get it right–she never knew the lines and we had to do several takes.
Synonyms: scene, sequence, filmed sequence More Synonyms of take
43. singular noun
Someone's takeon a particular situation or fact is their attitude to it or their interpretation ofit.
What's your take on the new government? Do you think it can work? [+ on]
That sort of thing gives you a different take on who you are.
Synonyms: view, opinion, understanding of, analysis of More Synonyms of take
44.
See I take it
45.
See take it from me
46.
See take it or leave it
47.
See to take something lying down
48.
See to take a lot/it out of sb
49.
See to take you out of yourself
50.
See take five, take ten
51. to be taken aback
52. to take up arms
53. to take the biscuit
54. to take the bull by the horns
55. to take your hat off to someone
56. to take the mickey
57. to take the piss out of someone
58. to take something as read
59. to be taken for a ride
60. to take someone by surprise
61. take my word for it
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
take in British English1
(teɪk)
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
5.
to rent or lease
to take a flat in town
6.
to receive or obtain by regular payment
we take a newspaper every day
7.
to obtain by competing for; win
to take first prize
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
10.
to endure, esp with fortitude
to take punishment
11.
to adopt as a symbol of duty, obligation, etc
to take the veil
12.
to receive or react to in a specified way
she took the news very well
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
15.
to receive into the body, as by eating, inhaling, etc
to take a breath
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
22. (also intr)
to make a photograph of or admit of being photographed
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
27.
to consider or accept as valid
I take your point
28.
to hold or maintain in the mind
his father took a dim view of his career
29.
to deal or contend with
the tennis champion took her opponent's best strokes without difficulty
30.
to use as a particular case
take hotels for example
31. (intransitive; often foll byfrom)
to diminish or detract
the actor's bad performance took from the effect of the play
32.
to confront successfully
the horse took the jump at the third attempt
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
43.
to escort or accompany
may I take you out tonight?
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 ascertain or determine by measuring, computing, etc
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
52. (copula)
to become suddenly or be rendered (ill)
he took sick
he was taken sick
53. (also intr)
to absorb or become absorbed by something
to take a polish
54. (usually passive)
to charm or captivate
she was very taken with the puppy
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
57.
to subtract or deduct
to take six from ten leaves four
58.
to hold or contain
the suitcase won't take all your clothes
59.
to quote or copy
he has taken several paragraphs from the book for his essay
60.
to proceed to occupy
to take a seat
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)
63. (also intr)
to catch as prey or catch prey
64. slang
to cheat, deceive, or victimize
65. take amiss
66. take at one's word
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
75. take someone's name in vain
76. take something upon oneself
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
81. informal
a.
any objective indication of a successful vaccination, such as a local skin reaction
b.
a successful skin graft
82. printing
a part of an article, story, etc, given to a compositor or keyboard operator for setting in type
83. informal
a try or attempt
84. informal
a version or interpretation
a new take on a classic dish
Derived forms
takable (ˈtakable) or takeable (ˈtakeable)
adjective
Word origin
Old English tacan, from Old Norse taka; related to Gothic tekan to touch
take in British English2
(ˈtɑːkɪ)
noun
New Zealand
a topic or cause
Word origin
Māori
take in American English
(teɪk)
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
b.
to trap, snare, or catch (a bird, animal, or fish)
c.
a.
to win (a game, a trick at cards, etc.)
b.
to capture (an opponent's piece in chess or checkers)
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
g.
to catch in some act, esp. a moral fault
taken in adultery
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
c.
to admit; let in
the bus takes 20 riders
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
l.
to obligate oneself by
to take a vow
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
d.
to go to (a place) for shelter, safety, etc.
to take cover
e.
to deal with; consider
to take a matter seriously
f.
a.
to occupy
take a chair
b.
to use up; consume
to take all day
g.
to require; demand; need
often used impersonally
it takes money; to take a size ten
h. US, Baseball
to allow (a pitched ball) to pass without swinging one's bat
4. to get from a source
a.
to derive, inherit, or draw (a name, quality, etc.) from something or someone specified
b.
to extract, as for quotation; excerpt
to take a verse from the Bible
c.
to obtain or ascertain by observation, query, or experiment
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.)
b.
to draw, photograph, etc. a likeness of
take the scene in color
g.
to make an impression of
take his fingerprints
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
c.
to occupy oneself in; enjoy
take a nap
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
b.
to suppose; presume
he took her to be a teacher
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.
to make or put forth (a resolution or objection) as the result of thought
c. Informal
to aim and execute (a specified action) at an object
to take a jab at someone
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 device
11.
to take root; begin growing
said of a plant
12.
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
16.
to be made or adapted to be taken (up, down, apart, etc.)
17. Informal, Dialectal
to become (ill or sick)
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
b. Slang
money received; receipts or profit
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
26. Informal
opinion; evaluation; assessment
followed by on
what's your take on the new tax?
27. Printing
the amount of copy sent to the compositor at one time
SIMILAR WORDS: bring, reˈceive
Idioms:
on the take
take after
take a meeting
take amiss
take back
take down
take five (or ten, etc.)
take for
take hold
take hold of
take in
take it
take it or leave it
take it out of
take it out on
take off
take on
take one's time
take out
take over
take to
take up
take upon oneself
take up with
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]
Derived forms
takable (ˈtakable)
adjective or ˈtakeable
Word origin
ME taken < OE tacan < ON taka < ? IE base *dēg-, to lay hold of
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.
Examples of 'take' in a sentence
take
She has taken the story beyond its original ending.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There are steps businesses can take to protect themselves.
Computing (2010)
Time to get up and take a walk.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
This enabled an offsetting process to take hold.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The parachute money only takes you so far.
The Sun (2016)
Last year more than half a million people took part.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Yet the persecution might have taken a different form.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
You have to be mature and take it one step at a time.
The Sun (2016)
You understand why certain people can be difficult without taking things personally.
The Sun (2016)
World history would have taken a very different turn.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Millions take it but until now it had not been proved to work.
The Sun (2007)
Politicians show their true mettle only when they take on the business of governing.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Taking action to get a better deal is right.
The Sun (2013)
This process will usually take five to ten minutes.
Eccles, Lesley Your First Horse - buying, feeding, caring (1989)
What lock do you recommend to stop the new one being taken?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It was at this point things began to take off.
The Sun (2010)
To maintain our tie has taken a certain amount of determination and willingness to bear the cost.
Christianity Today (2000)
My place will be taken by another driver for the closing stages of the journey.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We cannot blame ourselves or take responsibility for another person.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They take a long time to reach maturity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You want to know the danger signals and the actions you might take.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
We would have taken a piece of meat to put on the fire.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Which fact takes us right into the centre of our task.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
Their careers have taken rather different paths since.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The process took around an hour and preserved my personal data.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This is before account is taken of any money spent on home improvements.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
After the police became suspicious of her story she was taken aside and was able to tell of her ordeal.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That such questions mattered always used to be taken for granted and what worries him now is that they no longer are.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Chief executives typically take home 4.5 million.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
take
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
All related terms of 'take'
take in
If you take someone in , you allow them to stay in your house or your country , especially when they do not have anywhere to stay or are in trouble .
take it
to assume ; believe
take on
If you take on a job or responsibility , especially a difficult one, you accept it.
take to
If you take to someone or something, you like them, especially after knowing them or thinking about them for only a short time.
take up
If you take up an activity or a subject , you become interested in it and spend time doing it, either as a hobby or as a career .
hot take
a piece of journalism or commentary in which a personal opinion is presented forcefully without supporting evidence
out-take
An out-take is a piece of film or a song that is not in the final version of a programme , film, or record , for example because it contains a mistake .
piss-take
A piss-take is an act of making fun of someone or something.
take aim
When you take aim , you point a weapon or object at someone or something, before firing or throwing it.
take arms
to prepare to fight
take away
If you take something away from someone, you remove it from them, so that they no longer possess it or have it with them.
take back
If you take something back , you return it to the place where you bought it or where you borrowed it from, because it is unsuitable or broken , or because you have finished with it.
take care
You can say ' Take care ' when saying goodbye to someone.
take down
If you take something down , you reach up and get it from a high place such as a shelf .
take fire
to begin to burn
take five
to take a break of five minutes
take for
to consider or suppose to be, esp mistakenly
take form
When something takes form , it develops or begins to be visible .
take hold
If something takes hold , it gains complete control or influence over a person or thing.
take ill
to be annoyed or offended at
take life
to kill
take note
If you take note of something, you pay attention to it because you think that it is important or significant .
take odds
to accept a bet with favourable odds
take off
When an aeroplane takes off , it leaves the ground and starts flying .
take out
If you take something out , you remove it permanently from its place.
take over
If you take over a company , you get control of it, for example by buying its shares .
take part
If you take part in an activity, you do it together with other people.
take root
If an idea , belief , or custom takes root , it becomes established among a group of people.
take silk
to become a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
take upon
take vows
to enter a religious order and commit oneself to its rule of life by the vows of poverty , chastity , and obedience , which may be taken for a limited period as simple vows or as a perpetual and still more solemn commitment as solemn vows
take wing
to lift off or fly away
double take
If you do a double-take when you see or hear something strange or surprising , you hesitate for a moment before reacting to it because you wonder if you really saw or heard it.
I take it
You can say ' I take it ' to check with someone that what you believe to be the case or what you understand them to mean is in fact the case, or is in fact what they mean.
take aback
to astonish or disconcert
take action
to become active
take advice
If you take advice or take legal advice , you ask a lawyer for his or her professional opinion on a situation.
take after
If you take after a member of your family, you resemble them in your appearance, your behaviour, or your character.
take-along
intended or suitable for taking along, as on a trip
take amiss
to be annoyed or offended by
take apart
If you take something apart , you separate it into the different parts that it is made of.
take-charge
responsible , authoritative , and forceful
take cover
to make for a place of safety or shelter
take effect
You can say that something takes effect when it starts to produce the results that are intended .
take flight
If someone takes flight , they run away from an unpleasant situation or place.
take fright
If a person or animal takes fright at something, they are suddenly frightened by it, and want to run away or to stop doing what they are doing.
take guard
(of a batsman ) to choose a position in front of the wicket to receive the bowling , esp by requesting the umpire to indicate his or her position relative to the stumps
take heart
If you take heart from something, you are encouraged and made to feel optimistic by it.
take issue
to disagree
take leave
to say farewell (to)
Chinese translation of 'take'
take
(teɪk)
Word forms:pttook
Word forms:pptaken
vt
[holiday, vacation]度 (dù)
[shower, bath]洗 (xǐ)
[decision]做 (zuò)
(= take hold of)[sb's arm]拿 (ná)
⇒ Let me take your coat.让我来拿你的外套吧。 (Ràng wǒ lái ná nǐ de wàitào ba.)
(= steal) 偷走 (tōuzǒu)
⇒ Someone's taken my pen.有人偷走了我的钢笔。 (Yǒu rén tōuzǒule wǒ de gāngbǐ.)
(= require)[effort, courage etc]需要 (xūyào)
⇒ It took a lot of courage to admit his mistake.他需要很大勇气去承认错误。 (Tā xūyào hěn dà yǒngqì qù chéngrèn cuòwù.)
(= tolerate)[pain, criticism etc]忍受 (rěnshòu)
⇒ I can't take any more.我不能再忍受了。 (Wǒ bùnéng zài rěnshòu le.)