Looking up...
take
/teɪk/
to hold or grasp something
She took the book from the shelf.
She held or grasped the book from the shelf.
general
to hold or grasp something
He took the pen and started writing.
He held the pen and began to write.
Commonly used in everyday contexts.
general
to accept or receive something
She took the gift with a smile.
She accepted the gift with a smile.
Often used for receiving items or offers.
general
to remove or extract something
He took a picture of the landscape.
He captured a picture of the landscape.
Used for capturing images or removing items.
general
to require or need a certain amount of time
The journey will take two hours.
The journey will require two hours.
Used to indicate the duration of an activity.
general
to choose or select something
She took the red dress.
She chose the red dress.
Used for making a selection.
Collocations
take a breakto stop working for a short timetake a chanceto do something riskytake a lookto glance at somethingtake a pictureto photograph somethingtake a showerto wash oneself in the shower
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
'Take' is often used with prepositions like 'for', 'to', and 'with' to indicate direction or purpose.
Gold Rule
Context Matters
The meaning of 'take' can vary greatly depending on the context, so pay attention to the surrounding words.
Word Origin
Old English 'tacan', from Proto-Germanic 'takōnan', meaning 'to touch or grasp'.
Usage Notes
The verb 'take' is highly versatile and can be used in various contexts, including physical actions, receiving, removing, and requiring time. It is one of the most common verbs in English.
Word Breakdown
take
to hold or grasp
rootEnglish Dictionary