take

pronunciation

How to pronounce take in British English: UK [teɪk] word uk audio image

How to pronounce take in American English: US [teɪk] word us audio image

Noun:

the income arising from land or other property
the act of photographing a scene or part of a scene without interruption
Verb:

carry out
as of time or space
take somebody somewhere
get into one's hands, take physically
take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect
interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
take into one's possession
require as useful, just, or proper
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route
receive willingly something given or offered
assume, as of positions or roles
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
experience or feel or submit to
make a film or photograph of something
remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, taking off, etc. or remove something abstract
serve oneself to, or consume regularly
accept or undergo, often unwillingly
make use of or accept for some purpose
take by force
occupy or take on
admit into a group or community
ascertain or determine by measuring, computing or take a reading from a dial
be a student of a certain subject
take as an undesirable consequence of some event or state of affairs
head into a specified direction
aim or direct at; as of blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment
be seized or affected in a specified way
have with oneself; have on one's person
engage for service under a term of contract
receive or obtain by regular payment
buy, select
to get into a position of having, e.g., safety, comfort
have sex with; archaic use
lay claim to; as of an idea
be designed to hold or take
be capable of holding or containing
develop a habit
proceed along in a vehicle
obtain by winning
be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness

Word Origin

take: take: [12] Take was borrowed from Old Norse taka, whose modern descendants include Swedish taga and Danish tage. Now defunct relatives include Middle Dutch tāken ‘seize’ and Gothic tekan ‘touch’, and its ancestral meaning is probably ‘lay hands on’, but its ultimate origins are not known.

take (v.): late Old English tacan "to take, seize," from a Scandinavian source (such as Old Norse taka "take, grasp, lay hold," past tense tok, past participle tekinn; Swedish ta, past participle tagit), from Proto-Germanic *takan- (cognates: Middle Low German tacken, Middle Dutch taken, Gothic tekan "to touch"), from Germanic root *tak- "to take," of uncertain origin, perhaps originally meaning "to touch." As the principal verb for "to take," it gradually replaced Middle English nimen, from Old English niman, from the usual West Germanic *nem- root (source of German nehmen, Dutch nemen; see nimble). OED calls take "one of the elemental words of the language;" take up alone has 55 varieties of meaning in that dictionary's 2nd print edition. Basic sense is "to lay hold of," which evolved to "accept, receive" (as in take my advice) c. 1200; "absorb" (take a punch) c. 1200; "choose, select" (take the high road) late 13c.; "to make, obtain" (take a shower) late 14c.; "to become affected by" (take sick) c. 1300. Take five is 1929, from the approximate time it takes to smoke a cigarette. Take it easy first recorded 1880; take the plunge "act decisively" is from 1876; take the rap "accept (undeserved) punishment" is from 1930. Phrase take it or leave it is recorded from 1897. To take it out on (someone or something) "vent one's anger on other than what caused it" is by 1840.

take (n.): 1650s, "that which is taken," from take (v.). Sense of "money taken in" by a single performance, etc., is from 1931. Movie-making sense is recorded from 1927. Criminal sense of "money acquired by theft" is from 1888. The verb sense of "to cheat, defraud" is from 1920. On the take "amenable to bribery" is from 1930.