task
pronunciation
How to pronounce task in British English:
UK [tɑːsk]
How to pronounce task in American English:
US [tæsk]
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- Noun:
- any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
- a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee
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- Verb:
- assign a task to
- use to the limit
Word Origin
- task
- task: see tax
- task (n.)
- early 14c., "a quantity of labor imposed as a duty," from Old North French tasque (12c., Old French tasche, Modern French tâche) "duty, tax," from Vulgar Latin *tasca "a duty, assessment," metathesis of Medieval Latin taxa, a back-formation of Latin taxare "to evaluate, estimate, assess" (see tax (v.)). General sense of "any piece of work that has to be done" is first recorded 1590s. Phrase take one to task (1680s) preserves the sense that is closer to tax. German tasche "pocket" is from the same Vulgar Latin source (via Old High German tasca), with presumable sense evolution from "amount of work imposed by some authority," to "payment for that work," to "wages," to "pocket into which money is put," to "any pocket."
- task (v.)
- 1520s, "impose a task upon;" 1590s, "to burden, put a strain upon," from task (n.). Related: Tasked; tasking.
Example
- 1. It was not an easy task .
- 2. So some workmen were assigned the task .
- 3. Suing the ultimate chinese culprit is a thankless task .
- 4. But it was an unpleasant task to make him hear me .
- 5. A panel at the national research council recently took on the task of studying longevity .