Also spelled tak, takin, tooked, tuk, and tyking

US /teɪk/ UK /[tʰeɪk]/
verb Freq #84

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    To get hold of something and move it, or carry it with you.

    Don't forget to take your umbrella with you.

  2. 2
    verb

    To need a particular amount of time, effort, or quality.

    It takes about an hour to get there by bus.

  3. 3
    verb

    To choose, buy, or accept something.

    I'll take the blue one, please.

  4. 4
    verb

    To do or perform an action.

    We need to take action before it is too late.

  5. 5
    verb

    To measure something, such as someone's temperature or pulse.

    The nurse took my blood pressure.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
2 verb · to need a particular amount... need
4 verb · to do or perform an action. run
Opposites
Word family
Forms retakentaentakentakestakethtook
Derived forms betakecare-takingdouble-takeforetakefortakeland-takeleave-takingmickey-takemistakenote-takingontakeout-take
Related forms intakeouttaketakertakinguptake

Common collocations

Etymology

From Middle English taken (“to take, lay hold of, grasp, strike”), from Old English tacan (“to grasp, touch”), probably of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse taka (“to touch, take”), from Proto-Germanic *tēkaną (“to touch”), from pre-Germanic *deh₁g- (“to touch”), possibly a phonetically altered form of Proto-Indo-European *te-th₂g- (“to touch, take”) (see there for details). Gradually displaced native English nim, from Middle English nimen, from Old English niman (“to take”). Cognates Cognate with Scots tak (“to take”), Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk taka (“to take”), Norwegian Bokmål ta…

View etymology graph ->

Topics

markdown

Send feedback

Optional — only if you'd like a reply.