take

/ˈteɪ̯k/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

Australia/ˈtæɪ̯k/

take verb: to get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.

Verb

take (third-person singular simple present takes, present participle taking, simple past took, past participle taken or (archaic or Scotland) tane)

(transitive) To get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
- They took Charlton's gun from his cold, dead hands.
- I'll take that plate off the table.
Synonyms:

confiscate, seize
1. (transitive) To seize or capture.
  - take the guards prisoner
  - take prisoners
2. (transitive) To catch or get possession of (fish or game).
  - took ten catfish in one afternoon
  - The horses appear to thrive well, yet they are small sized, and have lost so much strength, that they are unfit to be used in taking wild cattle with the lazo.1839, Charles Darwin, chapter XII, in Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty’s Ships Adventure and Beagle, between the Years 1826 and 1836, […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […]...
3. (transitive) To catch the ball; especially as a wicket-keeper and after the batsman has missed or edged it.
4. (transitive) To appropriate or transfer into one's own possession, sometimes by physically carrying off.
  - Billy took her pencil.
  - The County took his land by eminent domain.
5. (transitive) To exact.
  - take a toll
  - take revenge
6. (transitive) To capture or win (a piece or trick) in a game.
  - took the next two tricks
  - took Smith's rook
(transitive) To receive or accept (something, especially something which was given).
- took third place
- took bribes
Synonyms:

garner, get, obtain, win, acquire, accept, attain, come by, cop, enlist

Antonyms:

give
1. (transitive) To receive or accept (something) as payment or compensation.
  - The store doesn't take checks.
  - She wouldn't take any money for her help.
2. (transitive) To accept and follow (advice, etc.).
  - take my advice
  - Between theſe, thoſe ſeem to do beſt who taking material and uſeful hints, ſometimes from ſingle matters of Fact, carry them in their Minds to be judg'd of, by what they ſhall find in Hiſtory to confirm or reverſe theſe imperfect Obſervations; which may be eſtabliſh'd into Rules fit to be rely'd...a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC, § 13, page 49
3. (transitive) To receive into some relationship.
  - take a wife
  - The school only takes new students in the fall.
4. (intransitive, transitive) To receive or acquire (property) by law (e.g. as an heir).
  - There was no intestacy, and they did not take under the will as heirs, but the widow and the children, under the residuary devise, take as tenants in common.1831 June, J. Duncan, “Lodge against Simonton”, in Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, third edition, volume II, Philadelphia, P.A.: Kay & Brother, published...
5. (transitive) To accept, be given (rightly or wrongly), or assume (especially as if by right).
  - He took all the credit for the project, although he had done almost none of the work.
  - She took the blame, in the public's eyes, although the debacle was more her husband's fault than her own.
(transitive) To remove.
- take two eggs from the carton
- And therefore, according to the tenor of ſuch a covenant, he has made no proviſion to ſecure his people in any ſuch temporalties, but took from them all right of war and reſiſtance.a. 1717 (date written), Robert South, “Sermon VI”, in Five Additional Volumes of Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume X, London: […] Charles Bathurst, […], published 1744, →OCLC, page...
Synonyms:

knock off, subduct, abate, bate, deduct, remove, subtract, take away, take off
1. (transitive) To remove or end by death; to kill.
  - The earthquake took many lives.
  - The plague took rich and poor alike.
2. (transitive) To subtract.
  - Take one from three and you are left with two.
(transitive) To have sex with.
- Sometimes he would have her standing up by the side of the bed, not bothering to undress, merely undoing his fly and using her like a cheap envelope to receive his lust. At others he would take her on the floor of her clothes closet and then leave her, locked in for the rest of the night, awash...1990, Pat Booth, Malibu, Crown Publishers, Inc., page 222
- He remembered her look of distress, her childish "Oh!" when he took her for the first time, clumsily, because he felt ashamed. And each time after that, each time they had sex together, though he tried to be as gentle as possible, he knew she was wearing the same expression, he avoided seeing her...1967 [1945], Georges Simenon, translated by Jean Stewart, Monsieur Monde Vanishes, New York, N.Y.; London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 126
Synonyms:

have, sleep with, Formal terms, bed, coit, coitize, dight, enjoy, feague, go in unto
(transitive) To defeat (someone or something) in a fight.
- Don't try to take that guy. He's bigger than you.
- The woman guarding us looks like a professional, but I can take her!
Synonyms:

beat
(transitive) To grasp or grip.
- He took her hand in his.
- The young females ſeeing him approach in ſuch haste; and according to cuſtom, expecting a dance; inſtantly aſſembled in a circle, and took each other by the hand: but Gulchenrouz, coming up out of breath, fell down, at once, on the graſs.1786, [William Beckford], translated by [Samuel Henley], An Arabian Tale, from an Unpublished Manuscript: […] [Vathek], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, pages 119–120
Synonyms:

grab, nim, beclasp, begrasp, begrip, belock, clasp, clench, clinch, cling
(transitive) To select or choose; to pick.
- Take whichever bag you like.
- She took the best men with her and left the rest to garrison the city.
1. (transitive) To adopt (select) as one's own.
  - She took his side in every argument.
  - take a stand on the important issues
2. (transitive, roleplaying games) To apply or assign a character option.
  - I'll take a level as a fighter, so I can take the weapon specialization skill.
(transitive) To carry or lead (something or someone).
- She took her sword with her everywhere she went.
- I'll take the plate with me.
Antonyms:

bring
1. (especially, transitive) To transport or carry; to convey to another place.
  - The next bus will take you to Metz.
  - I took him for a ride
2. (transitive, usually) To lead (to a place); to serve as a means of reaching.
  - These stairs take you down to the basement.
  - Stone Street took us right past the store.
3. (transitive) To pass (or attempt to pass) through or around.
  - She took the steps two or three at a time.
  - He took the curve / corner too fast.
4. (transitive) To escort or conduct (a person).
  - He took her to lunch at the new restaurant, took her to the movies, and then took her home.
  - And fain would take thee with me, in the Dell / Of Peace and mild Equality to dwell, / Where Toil ſhall call the charmer Health his Bride, / And Laughter tickle Plenty's ribleſs ſide!1796, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “To a Young Ass, It's Mother Being Tethered Near It”, in Poems on Various Subjects, London: […] G[eorge] G[eorge] and J[ohn] Robinsons, and J[oseph] Cottle, […]...
5. (reflexive, transitive) To go.
  - In a rare example of clemency Pope John assured him of a pardon, perhaps on the grounds that the innocent monk had merely been the victim of Louis's overbearing ambitions. Nicholas then took himself to Avignon where in August 1330 he formally renounced his claim to the papacy.2007, Edwin B. Mullins, The Popes of Avignon, New York, N.Y.: BlueBridge, published 2008, →ISBN, page 59
(transitive) To use as a means of transportation.
- take the ferry
- I took a plane.
(transitive) To obtain for use by payment or lease.
- She took a condo at the beach for the summer.
- He took a full-page ad in the Times.
1. (transitive) To obtain or receive regularly by (paid) subscription.
  - They took two magazines.
  - I used to take The Sunday Times.
(transitive) To receive (medicine or drugs) into one's body, e.g. by inhalation or swallowing; to ingest.
- take two of these and call me in the morning
- take the blue pill
(dated, transitive) To consume (food or drink).
- The general took dinner at seven o'clock.
- To such men as Mr. Hellyer, who every night take much strong drink, and on no occasion whatever take any exercise, sixty is the grand climacteric. He was a year ago just fifty-nine. Alas! he has not even reached his grand climacteric. Already he is gone. He was cut off by pneumonia, or apoplexy...1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 48

Show 52 more meaningsShow fewer meanings

(transitive) To undergo; to put oneself into, to be subjected to.
- take sun-baths
- take a shower
(transitive) To experience or feel.
- She takes pride in her work.
- I take offence at that.
(transitive) To submit to; to endure (without ill humor, resentment, or physical failure).
- took a pay cut
- take a joke
(transitive) To suffer; to endure (a hardship or damage).
- The ship took a direct hit and was destroyed.
- Her career took a hit.
(transitive) To participate in.
- She took a vacation to France but spent the whole time feeling miserable that her husband couldn't be there with her.
- Aren't you supposed to take your math final today?
(transitive) To cause to change to a specified state or condition.
- He had to take it apart to fix it.
- She took down her opponent in two minutes.
(transitive) To regard in a specified way.
- He took the news badly.
- Not unnaturally, "Auntie" took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 361
(transitive) To conclude or form (a decision or an opinion) in the mind.
- took the decision to close its last remaining outlet
- took a dim view of city officials
(transitive) To understand (especially in a specified way).
- Don't take my comments as an insult.
- if she took my meaning
(transitive) To believe, to accept the statements of.
- take her word for it
- take him at his word
(transitive) To assume or suppose; to reckon; to regard or consider.
- I took him to be a person of honor.
- He was often taken to be a man of means.
(transitive) To draw, derive, or deduce (a meaning from something).
- take it from her comments she won't be there.
- I'm not sure what moral to take from that story.
(transitive) To derive (as a title); to obtain from a source.
- "As I Lay Dying" takes its title from Book XI of Homer's "Odyssey"
- The benign or milder Species takes its Originall from a bilious hot ſerum: the other is commonly ſaid to proceed from Aduſtion in the Bloud, with a mixture of Choler or ſalt Phlegm.1676, Richard Wiseman, “The First Book. A Treatise of Tumours.”, in Severall Chirurgicall Treatises, London: […] E. Flesher and J. Macock, for R[ichard] Royston […], and B[enjamin] Took, […], →OCLC...
(transitive) To catch or contract (an illness, etc.).
- took a chill
- to take cold
(transitive) To come upon or catch (in a particular state or situation).
(transitive) To captivate or charm; to gain or secure the interest or affection of.
- took her fancy
- took her attention
(transitive) To absorb or be impregnated by (dye, ink, etc.); to be susceptible to being treated by (polish, etc.).
- cloth that takes dye well
- The flu shot didn't take (on me).
(transitive) To let in (water).
- The British brought the ship into Haifa harbor. The ship was taking seawater in 4 places, and the passengers had been without fresh water for the last few days of their voyage, with several ill from drinking seawater.1972, Anne Sinai, Israel & the Arabs: Prelude to the Jewish State, New York, N.Y.: Facts on File, Inc., →ISBN, pages 107–108
(transitive) To require (a person, resource or thing in order to achieve an outcome).
- Looks like it's gonna take a taller person to get that down.
- Finishing this on schedule will take a lot of overtime.
(transitive) To proceed to fill.
- He took a seat in the front row.
(transitive) To fill, occupy, require, or use up (space).
- His collection takes a lot of space.
(transitive) To fill or require: to last or expend (an amount of time).
- Unloading the moving truck took us half a day, but this mess of a house will take us all weekend to tidy up. It takes ages to finish house moving!
- Hunting that whale takes most of his free time.
(transitive) To avail oneself of; to exploit.
- He took that opportunity to leave France.
- When that happened, he almost gave up the idea of asking what he had come to ask. But then the opportunity arose, and he took it, then waited breathlessly for her answer.2000, Cameron Judd, The Overmountain Men: A Novel, Nashville, T.N.: Cumberland House, →ISBN, page 166
(transitive) To practice; perform; execute; carry out; do.
- take a walk
- take action/steps/measures to fight drug abuse
(transitive) To assume (a form).
- took the form of a duck
- took shape
(transitive) To perform (a role).
- take the part of the villain/hero
- When we play baseball, he always takes pitcher.
(transitive) To assume and undertake the duties of (a job, an office, etc.).
- take office
- take the throne
(transitive) To bind oneself by.
- he took the oath of office last night
- On this, they withdrew to a tenisground in the neighbourhood of Berſailles, as the moſt convenient place they could find, and, after renewing their ſeſſion, took an oath never to ſeparate from each other, under any circumſtance whatever, death excepted, until they had eſtabliſhed a conſtitution.1791, Thomas Paine, Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution, London: […] J. S. Jordan, […], →OCLC, page 106
(transitive) To go into, through, or along.
- go down two blocks and take the next left
- take the path of least resistance
1. (transitive) To go or move into.
  - the witness took the stand
  - the next team took the field
(transitive) To have and use one's recourse to.
- take cover/shelter/refuge
(transitive) To ascertain or determine by measurement, examination or inquiry.
- take her pulse / temperature / blood pressure
- take a census
(transitive) To write down; to get in, or as if in, writing.
- He took a mental inventory of his supplies.
- She took careful notes.
(transitive) To make (a photograph, film, or other reproduction of something).
- She took a video of their encounter.
- Could you take a picture of us?
(dated, transitive) To make a picture, photograph, etc. of (a person, scene, etc.).
- The photographer will take you sitting down.
- to take a group/scene
(transitive) To obtain money from, especially by swindling.
- took me for ten grand
(transitive, now chiefly by enrolling in a class or course) To apply oneself to the study of.
- As a child, she took ballet.
- Next semester, I plan to take math, physics, literature, and art history.
(transitive) To deal with.
- take matters as they arise
(transitive) To consider in a particular way, or to consider as an example.
- I've had a lot of problems recently: take last Monday, for example. My car broke down on the way to work. Then […] etc.
(transitive) To decline to swing at (a pitched ball); to refrain from hitting at, and allow to pass.
- He'll probably take this one.
(transitive) To have to be used with (a certain grammatical form, etc.).
- This verb takes the dative; that verb takes the genitive.
(transitive) To accept (zero or more arguments).
- The function takes two arguments, an array of size n and an integer k.
(Cyprus, informal, transitive, Greece) To buy.
- take a ticket
(intransitive) To get or accept (something) into one's possession.
- My husband and I have a dysfunctional marriage. He just takes and takes; he never gives.
(intransitive) To engage, take hold or have effect.
- And ſo likewiſe Flame percuſſing the Aire ſtrongly, (as when Flame ſuddenly taketh, and openeth,) giueth a Noiſe; So, Great Flames, whiles the one implelleth the other, giue a bellowing Sound.1631, Francis [Bacon], “II. Century. [Experiments in Consort, Touching Sounds; and First Touching the Nullity and Entity of Sounds.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries....
1. (intransitive, usually, style, look) To look good enough to keep.
  - I tried a mustache a couple years ago, but it didn't take.
2. (intransitive, usually, dye) To adhere or be absorbed properly.
  - the dye didn't take
  - Boiling pasta with a bit of the sauce in the water will help the sauce "take."
3. (intransitive, usually) To begin to grow after being grafted or planted; to (literally or figuratively) take root, take hold.
  - not all grafts take
  - I started some tomato seeds last spring, but they didn't take.
4. (intransitive) To catch; to engage.
  - At the depot, Hook climbed out, slamming the door twice before the latch took. A train idled on the main track, the engine hissing as it waited for the crew change. From the windows, passengers watched on at the world outside.2009, Sheldon Russell, The Yard Dog, New York, N.Y.: Minotaur Books, →ISBN, page 210
5. (dated, intransitive, possibly) To win acceptance, favor or favorable reception; to charm people.
  - Each VVit may praiſe it, for his ovvn dear Sake, / And hint He vvrit it, if the Thing ſhou'd take.1716 March 21 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “Prologue. Spoken by Mr. [Robert] Wilks.”, in The Drummer; or, The Haunted House. A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […]...
  - Here was only cruelty and pain; where was the loving side of Christianity? "When I was young," I said, "I was vaccinated with religion, but the vaccination didn't take."1967, Richard Martin Stern, The Kessler Legacy, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner's Sons, page 103
(copulative, intransitive) To become; to be affected in a specified way.
- They took ill within 3 hours.
- She took sick with the flu.
(dated, intransitive, possibly) To be able to be accurately or beautifully photographed.
- 'Photographs never do give anything but a pale imitation, you know, but the likenesses, as likenesses, are good. She "takes well" as they say, and those were done lately.'1881, Jessie Fothergill, chapter IX, in Kith and Kin: A Novel, volume II, London: Robert Bentley and Son, page 259
(dialectal, intransitive, proscribed) An intensifier.
- I don't know but she would, but just then poor Sukey came in, and looked so frightened and scarey—Sukey is a pretty gal, and looks so trembling and delicate, that it's kinder a shame to plague her, and so I took and come away for that time.1843, Harriet Beecher Stowe, The Mayflower; Or, Sketches of Scenes and Characters Among the Descendants of the Pilgrims, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, page 34
- Speed-the-Plough lurched round on his elbow and regarded him indifferently. "Moighty foin, that be! D'ye call that Doctrin'? He bean't al'ays, or I shoon't be scrapin' my heels wi' nothin' to do, and what's warse, nothin' to eat. Why, look heer. Luck 's luck, and bad luck's the con-trary. Varmer...1859, George Meredith, The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. A History of Father and Son. […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, page 100
(obsolete, transitive) To deliver, bring, give (something) to (someone).
- Jeſus perceaved there wylynes ãd ſayde: Why tempte ye me ye ypocrytes: lett me ſe the tribute money. And they toke hym a peny.1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew xxij:[19], folio xxxi, verso
(dialectal, obsolete, slang, transitive) To give or deliver (a blow, to someone); to strike or hit.
- He took me a blow on the head.
(archaic) To visit; to include in a course of travel.
- Now about a Year ſince, R. B. and B. F. took that City in the Way from Frederickſtadt to Amſterdam, and gave them a Viſit: In which they informed them ſomewhat of Friend's Principles, and recommended the Teſtimony of TRUTH to them, as both a nearer and more certain Thing than the utmoſt of De...1677, William Penn, A Collection of the Works of William Penn: […], volume I, London: […] J. Sowle, […], published 1726, page 60
- But it seems that he did not attend to this circumstance at present; for in May, he set out again for Epworth, and took Manchester in his way, to see his friend Mr. Clayton, who had now left Oxford.1793, John Whitehead, The Life of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A. […], Dublin: […] John Jones, […], published 1805, page 441
(obsolete, rare) To portray in a painting.
- Beauty alone could beauty take ſo right: / Her dreſs, her ſhape, her matchleſs grace, / Were all obferv'd, as well as heavenly face.a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “To The Pious Memory of the Accomplish'd Young Lady Mrs. Anne Killigrew, […]”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume II, London: […] J[acob] and...
Used in phrasal verbs: take in, take off, take on, take out, take to, take something to, take up.

Noun

take (plural takes)

An act of taking.
- The 1994 Amendments address the incidental take of marine mammals in the course of commercial fishing, not the direct lethal take of pinnipeds for management purposes.1999, Report to Congress: Impacts of California Sea Lions and Pacific Harbor Seals on Salmonids and West Coast Ecosystems, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric...
- 'I saw you in Norfolk doing twenty-odd takes with that fisherman chap and it looked perfect in the rushes.'2009, Lissa Evans, Their Finest Hour and a Half, London […]: Doubleday, →ISBN, page 321
Money that is taken in, (legal or illegal) proceeds, income; (in particular) profits; takings.
- Why would anyone go along with such things? Money is still the main answer: Almost all prominent climate deniers are on the fossil-fuel take.2018 November 26, Paul Krugman, “The Depravity of Climate-Change Denial”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 May 2023
- He wants half of the take if he helps with the job.
The or a quantity of fish, game animals or pelts, etc which have been taken at one time; catch.
- Since a state ban was lifted in 1984, hunters may shoot one swan per season. A permit system limited last season's take to 6,000.1987 October, Charles E. Cobb, Jr., “North Carolina's Outer Banks”, in National Geographic, volume 172, number 4, page 507
An interpretation or view, opinion or assessment; perspective; a statement expressing such a position.
- What's your take on this issue, Fred?
- Another unsolicited maths take: talking about quotients in terms of "equivalence classes" or cosets is really unnatural.
Synonyms:

conclusion, mind, verdict, award, censure, choice, opinion, decision, deduction, determination
An approach, a (distinct) treatment.
- a new take on a traditional dish
- Whatever the provenance, the result is a delightfully novel take on a stalwart, often deadening Victorian feature.2009, Tim Richardson, Great Gardens of America, London: Frances Lincoln Limited, →ISBN, page 87
A scene recorded (filmed) at one time, without an interruption or break; a recording of such a scene.
- It's a take.
- Act seven, scene three, take two.
A recording of a musical performance made during an uninterrupted single recording period.
A visible (facial) response to something, especially something unexpected; a facial gesture in response to an event.
- did a double take and then a triple take
- I did a take when I saw the new car in the driveway.
An instance of successful inoculation/vaccination.
A catch of the ball (in cricket, especially one by the wicket-keeper).
The quantity of copy given to a compositor at one time.
- When the copy arrives, it is taken in hand by the printer, who first of all divides it into "takes" or short portions, distributing these among the various compositors. A take usually consists of a little more than a stickful of matter, but it varies sometimes, for if a new paragraph occurs it is...1884, John Southward, chapter XXI, in Practical Printing: A Handbook of the Art of Typography, second edition, London: J. M. Powell & Son, page 197

take meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

take in Hindi

to get into one's hands or control: लेना lenā

take in Tamil

to get into one's hands or control: எடு eṭu, கொள் koḷ

take in Urdu

to get into one's hands or control: لینا lenā
to ingest medicine: کھانا khānā, پِینا pīnā

More languagesFewer languages

take in Bengali: গ্রহণ করা grohon kora, নেওয়া neōẇa
take in Telugu: తీసుకొను tīsukonu
take in Malayalam: എടുക്കുക eṭukkuka
take in Kannada: ಹಿಡಿ hiḍi, ಕೊಳ್ಳು koḷḷu
take in Punjabi: لینا laiṇā, ਲੈਣਾ laiṇā, ਘਿਨਣਾ ghinṇā, گھننا ghinṇā
take in Gujarati: લેવું levũ
take in Odia: ନେବା nebā, ଘେନିବା ghenibā
take in Sanskrit: हरति hárati, लभते labhate, हृ hṛ, स्वीकरोति svīkaroti
take in Sinhala: අරගන්නවා aragannawā
take in Assamese: ল lo, নিয়া nia
take in Nepali: लिनु linu, लगाउनु lagāunu
take in Pashto: اخستل axəstᶕl
take in Tagalog: kunin, dalhin, piliin, makipagtalik
take in Arabic: أَخَذَ ʔaḵaḏa, وَدَّى waddā, عَانَى ʕānā
take in Malay: mengambil
take in Indonesian: ambil
take in Thai: เอา ao, หยิบ yìp
take in Vietnamese: nắm, lấy, nắm lấy, cầm
take in Myanmar: ယူ yu
Kashmiri: نیُٛن n'un, ہیٛۆن h'on

Examples of take in a sentence

After a bloody battle, they were able to take the city.
The camera takes 35mm film.
I'll take questions from the floor later.
Do you take plastic?
The vending machine only takes bills, it doesn't take coins.
The therapist wouldn't take him as a client.

All 40 example sentences with take

Synonyms of take

30 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of take

Forms of take

Verb
third-person singular present	takes
present participle	taking
past	took
past participle	taken
alternative Northumbria	tek
past participle Scotland (archaic)	tane
second-person singular present (archaic)	takest
second-person singular past (archaic)	tookst
second-person singular past (archaic)	tookest
third-person singular present (archaic)	taketh
past participle (colloquial, dialectal)	took
Noun
plural	takes

Past tense of take: took

Plural of take: takes

Origin of take

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”). Alternatively, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *takan (“to take; grasp, touch”). Both 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 (“to take”), Swedish ta (“to take”), Danish tage (“to take, seize”), West Frisian take, taakje (“to grab, steal”), Dutch taken (“to take; grasp”), Middle Low German tacken (“to grasp”). English thack may be from the same root. Compare tackle. Despite superficial similarity, unrelated to Proto-Indo-European *tek- (“to take by hand, obtain”), which is instead cognate with English thig (“to beg”).

Words formed from take

Phrases with take

169 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with take

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about take

What does take mean?: Take means to get into one's hands, possession, or control, with or without force.
What is take in Hindi?: Take in Hindi is लेना (lenā). See Take meaning in Hindi.
How do you use take in a sentence?: After a bloody battle, they were able to take the city.
What part of speech is take?: Take can be a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce take?: Take is pronounced /ˈteɪ̯k/.
What is the past tense of take?: The past tense of take is took.

Words near take in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-uk-to take.ogg, En-us-take.ogg, En-au-take.ogg.

Cite this entry: “take.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/take. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.