Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - take

 I. verb  (took; ~n; taking)  Etymology: Middle English, from Old English tacan, from Old Norse taka; akin to Middle Dutch ~n to ~  Date: before 12th century  transitive verb  1. to get into one's hands or into one's possession, power, or control: as  a. to seize or capture physically took them as prisoners  b. to get possession of (as fish or game) by killing or capturing  c.  (1) to move against (as an opponent's piece in chess) and remove from play  (2) to win in a card game able to ~ 12 tricks  d. to acquire by eminent domain  2. grasp, grip ~ the ax by the handle  3.  a. to catch or attack through the effect of a sudden force or influence ~n with a fit of laughing ~n ill  b. to catch or come upon in a particular situation or action was ~n unawares  c. to gain the approval or liking of ; captivate, delight was quite ~n with her at their first meeting  4.  a. to receive into one's body (as by swallowing, drinking, or inhaling) ~ a pill  b. to put oneself into (as sun, air, or water) for pleasure or physical benefit  c. to par~ of ; eat ~s dinner about seven  5.  a. to bring or receive into a relation or connection ~s just four students a year it's time he took a wife  b. to copulate with  6. to transfer into one's own keeping:  a. appropriate someone took my hat  b. to obtain or secure for use (as by lease, subscription, or purchase) ~ a cottage for the summer I'll ~ the red one took an ad in the paper  7.  a. assume gods often took the likeness of a human being when the college took its present form  b.  (1) to enter into or under~ the duties of ~ a job ~ office  (2) to move onto or into ; move into position on the home team took the field ~ the witness stand  c.  (1) to bind oneself by ~ the oath of office  (2) to make (a decision) especially with finality or authority  d. to impose upon oneself ~ the trouble to do good work ~ pains to make her feel welcome  e.  (1) to adopt as one's own ~ a stand on the issue ~ an interest  (2) to align or ally oneself with mother took his side  f. to assume as if rightfully one's own or as if granted ~ the credit  g. to accept the burden or consequences of took the blame  h. to have or assume as a proper part of or accompaniment to itself transitive verbs ~ an object  8.  a. to secure by winning in competition took first place  b. defeat  9. to pick out ; choose, select took the best apple  10. to adopt, choose, or avail oneself of for use: as  a. to have recourse to as an instrument for doing something ~ a scythe to the weeds  b. to use as a means of transportation or progression ~ the bus  c. to have recourse to for safety or refuge ~ shelter  d. to go along, into, or through took a different route  e.  (1) to proceed to occupy ~ a seat in the rear  (2) to use up (as space or time) ~s a long time to dry  (3) need, require ~s a size nine shoe it ~s two to start a fight  11.  a. to obtain by deriving from a source ; draw ~s its title from the name of the hero  b.  (1) to obtain as the result of a special procedure ; ascertain ~ the temperature ~ a census  (2) to get in or as if in writing ~ notes ~ an inventory  (3) to get by drawing or painting or by photography ~ a snapshot  (4) to get by transference from one surface to another ~ a proof ~ fingerprints  12. to receive or accept whether willingly or reluctantly ~ a bribe will you ~ this call ~ a bet: as  a.  (1) to submit to ; endure ~ a cut in pay  (2) withstand it will ~ a lot of punishment  (3) suffer took a direct hit  b.  (1) to accept as true ; believe I'll ~ your word for it  (2) follow ~ my advice  (3) to accept or regard with the mind in a specified way took the news hard you ~ yourself too seriously  c. to indulge in and enjoy was taking his ease on the porch  d. to receive or accept as a return (as in payment, compensatioN, OR REPARATION) we don't ~ credit cards  e. to accept in a usually professional relationship — often used with on agreed to ~ him on as a client  f. to refrain from hitting at (a pitched ball) ~ a strike  13.  a.  (1) to let in ; admit the boat was taking water fast  (2) accommodate the suitcase wouldn't ~ another thing  b. to be affected injuriously by (as a disease) ; contract ~ cold; also to be seized by ~ a fit ~ fright  c. to absorb or become impregnated with (as dye); also to be effectively treated by a surface that ~s a fine polish  14.  a. apprehend, understand how should I ~ your remark  b. consider, suppose I ~ it you're not going  c. reckon, accept taking a stride at 30 inches  d. feel, experience ~ pleasure ~ an instant dislike to someone ~ offense  15.  a. to lead, carry, or cause to go along to another place this bus will ~ you into town took an umbrella with her  b. to cause to move to a specified state, condition, or sphere of activity took the company public took his team to the finals  c. to stop prescribing a specified regimen to — used with off took him off the medication  16.  a. remove ~ eggs from a nest  b.  (1) to put an end to (life)  (2) to remove by death was ~n in his prime  c. subtract ~ two from four  d. exact the weather took its toll  17.  a. to under~ and make, do, or perform ~ a walk ~ aim ~ legal action ~ a test ~ a look  b. to participate in ~ a meeting  18.  a. to deal with ~ first things first  b. to consider or view in a particular relation ~n together, the details were significant; especially to consider as an example ~ style, for instance  c.  (1) to apply oneself to the study of ~ music lessons ~ French  (2) to study for especially successfully taking a degree in engineering took holy orders  19. to obtain money from especially fraudulently took me for all I had  20. to pass or attempt to pass through, along, or over took the curve too fast ~ the stairs two at a time  intransitive verb  1. to obtain possession: as  a. capture  b. to receive property under law as one's own  2. to lay hold ; catch, hold  3. to establish a ~ especially by uniting or growing 90 percent of the grafts ~  4.  a. to be~ oneself ; set out ; go ~ after a purse snatcher  b. chiefly dialect — used as an intensifier or redundantly with a following verb took and swung at the ball  5.  a. to ~ effect ; act, operate hoped the lesson he taught would ~  b. to show the natural or intended effect dry fuel ~s readily  6. charm, captivate a taking smile  7. detract  8. to be seized or attacked in a specified way ; become took sick  • ~r noun Synonyms:  ~, seize, grasp, clutch, snatch, grab mean to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand. ~ is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control ~ some salad from the bowl. seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible seized the suspect. grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession grasp the handle and pull. clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding clutching her purse. snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize snatched a doughnut and ran. grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch grabbed roughly by the arm.  II. noun  Date: 1654  1. something that is ~n:  a. the amount of money received ; proceeds, receipts, income  b. share, cut wanted a bigger ~  c. the number or quantity (as of animals, fish, or pelts) ~n at one time ; catch, haul  d. a section or installment done as a unit or at one time  e.  (1) a scene filmed or televised at one time without stopping the camera  (2) a sound recording made during a single recording period; especially a trial recordING  2. an act or the action of taking: as  a. the action of killing, capturing, or catching (as game or fish)  b.  (1) the uninterrupted photographing or televising of a scene  (2) the making of a sound recording  3.  a. a local or systemic reaction indicative of successful vaccination (as against smallpox)  b. a successful union (as of a graft)  4. a visible response or reaction (as to something unexpected) a delayed ~  5. a distinct or personal point of view, outlook, or assessment was asked for her ~ on recent developments; also a distinct treatment or variation a new ~ on an old style