[take by surprise]{v. phr.} 1. To appear in front of someone suddenly or to suddenly discover him before he discovers you; come before (someone) is ready; appear before (someone) unexpectedly. •/The policeman took the burglar by surprise as he opened the window./ •/When Mrs. Green’s dinner guests came half an hour early, they took her by surprise./ 2. To fill with surprise or amazement; astonish. •/Ellen was taken by surprise when the birthday cake was brought in./ •/When our teacher quit in the middle of the year to work for the government, it took us all by surprise./
[take by the scruff]{v. phr.} 1. To assert authority over a person. •/Tim’s mother took him by the scruff and told him to get cleaned up./ 2. To punish a person. •/The boss took us by the scruff when he found us chatting idly by the coffee machine./ 3. To assume firm control over a job or a situation that has been causing some difficulty. •/Someone had better take the post office by the scruff; there are too many customer complaints pouring in./
[take care]{v. phr.} To be careful; use wisdom or caution. •/Take care that you don’t spill that coffee!/ •/We must take care to let nobody hear about this./
[take care of]{v. phr.} 1. To attend to; supply the needs of. •/She stayed home to take care of the baby./ Syn.: KEEP AN EYE ON(2), LOOK AFTER. Compare: IN CHARGE(2). 2. {informal} To deal with; do what is needed with. •/I will take care of that letter./ •/The coach told Jim to take care of the opposing player./ Compare: SEE TO.
[take charge]{v. phr.} To begin to lead or control; take control or responsibility; undertake the care or management (of persons or things). •/When Mrs. Jackson was in the hospital, her sister took charge of the Jackson children until Mrs. Jackson could care for them./ •/The child care class gave a party for the nursery children, and Mary took charge of the games./ •/John was elected the new president of the club and took charge at the next meeting./ •/Bob is a natural leader, and can take charge in an emergency./ Compare: IN CHARGE(2).
[take cold] See: CATCH COLD.
[take cover]{v. phr.} To seek shelter or protection. •/The rain began so suddenly that we had to take cover in a doorway./
[take down]{v.} 1. To write or record (what is said). •/I will tell you how to get to the place; you had better take it down./ 2. To pull to pieces; take apart. •/It will be a big job to take that tree down./ •/In the evening the campers put up a tent, and the next morning they took it down./ 3. {informal} To reduce the pride or spirit of; humble. •/Bob thought he was a good wrestler, but Henry took him down./ Syn.: TAKE DOWN A NOTCH.
[take down a notch] or [take down a peg] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make (someone) less proud or sure of himself. •/The team was feeling proud of its record, but last week the boys were taken down a peg by a bad defeat./
[take effect]{v. phr.} 1. To have an unexpected or intended result; cause a change. •/It was nearly an hour before the sleeping pill took effect./ 2. To become lawfully right, or operative. •/The new tax law will not take effect until January./
[take exception to]{v. phr.} To speak against; find fault with; be displeased or angered by; criticize. •/There was nothing in the speech that you could take exception to./ •/Did she take exception to my remarks about her cooking./
[take five]{v. phr.} To take a five-minute break during some work or theatrical rehearsal. •/"All right, everyone," the director cried. "Let’s take five."/
[take for]{v.} To suppose to be; mistake for. •/Do you take me for a fool?/ •/At first sight you would take him for a football player, not a poet./
[take for a ride]{v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To take out in a car intending to murder. •/The gang leader decided that the informer must be taken for a ride./ 2. To play a trick on; fool. •/The girls told Linda that a movie star was visiting the school, but she did not believe them; she thought they were taking her for a ride./ Compare: STRING ALONG. 3. To take unfair advantage of; fool for your own gain. •/His girlfriend really took him for a ride before he stopped dating her./
[take for granted]{v. phr.} 1. To suppose or understand to be true. •/Mr. Harper took for granted that the invitation included his wife./ •/A teacher cannot take it for granted that students always do their homework./ Compare: BEG THE QUESTION. 2. To accept or become used to (something) without noticing especially or saying anything. •/George took for granted all that his parents did for him./ •/No girl likes to have her boyfriend take her for granted; instead, he should always try to make her like him better./
[take French leave]{v. phr.} To leave secretly; abscond. •/The party was so boring that we decided to take French leave./ •/While the Smith family was in Europe, the house-sitter packed up all the silver and took French leave./ See: SLIP AWAY.
[take heart]{v. phr.} To be encouraged; feel braver and want to try. •/The men took heart from their leader’s words and went on to win the battle./ •/When we are in trouble we can take heart from the fact that things often seem worse than they are./ Contrast: LOSE HEART.
[take heed]{v. phr.}, {literary} To pay attention; watch or listen carefully; notice. •/Take heed not to spill coffee on the rug./
[take hold of]{v. phr.} To grasp. •/The old man tried to keep himself from falling down the stairs, but there was no railing to take hold of./
[take ill] or [take sick] {v.} To become sick. •/Father took sick just before his birthday./ — Used in the passive with the same meaning. •/The man was taken ill on the train./
[take in]{v.} 1. To include. •/The country’s boundaries were changed to fake in a piece of land beyond the river./ •/The class of mammals takes in nearly all warm-blooded animals except the birds./ 2. To go and see; visit. •/The students decided to take in a movie while they were in town./ •/We planned to take in Niagara Palls and Yellowstone Park on our trip./ 3. To make smaller. •/This waistband is too big; it must be taken in about an inch./ •/They had to take in some sail to keep the ship from turning over in the storm./ 4. To grasp with the mind; understand. •/He didn’t take in what he read because his mind was on something else./ •/He took in the situation at a glance./ 5a. To deceive; cheat; fool. •/The teacher was taken in by the boy’s innocent manner./ Compare: PUT OVER, ROPE IN. 5b. To accept without question; believe. •/The magician did many tricks, and the children took it all in./ 6a. To receive; get. •/The senior class held a dance to make money and took in over a hundred dollars./ 6b. Let come in; admit. •/The farmer took in the lost travelers for the night./ •/When her husband died, Mrs. Smith took in boarders./ 7. To see or hear with interest; pay close attention to, •/When Bill told about his adventures, the other boys took it all in./
[take in stride]{v. phr.} To meet happenings without too much surprise; accept good or bad luck and go on. •/He learned to take disappointments in stride./
[take in tow]{v. phr.} To take charge of; lead; conduct. •/Brian and Kate took a group of children in tow when they went to see the circus./
[take into account]{v. phr.} To remember and understand while judging someone or something; consider. •/How much time will we need to get to the lake? You have to take the bad road into account./ •/His acting in the play was remarkable, taking into account his youth and inexperience./ Syn.: RECKON WITH. Contrast: LEAVE OUT OF ACCOUNT.
[take issue with]{v. phr.} To be openly against; speak against; disagree with. •/He thought his boss was wrong but was afraid to take issue with him on the matter./
[take it]{v. phr.} 1. To get an idea or impression; understand from what is said or done. — Usually used with "I". •/I take it from your silence that you don’t want to go./ 2. {informal} To bear trouble, hard work, criticism; not give up or weaken. •/Henry could criticize and tease other boys, but he couldn’t take it himself./ •/Bob lost his job and his girl in the same week, and we all admired the way he took it./
[take it all in]{v. phr.} To absorb completely; listen attentively. •/Bill’s piano music filled the room and we took it all in with admiration./
[take it away]{v. phr.}, {informal}, {Theatrical expression} You’re on; it’s your turn; you’re next. •/And here comes that wonderful comedian, Bob Hope. The announcer said, "Take it away. Bob."/
[take it easy]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. or [go easy] or [take things easy] To go or act slowly, carefully, and gently. — Often used with "on". •/Take it easy. The roads are icy./ •/"Go easy," said Billy to the other boys carrying the table down the stairs./ •/"Take it easy on John and don’t scold him too much," said Mrs. Jones to Mr. Jones./ •/Go easy on the cake. There isn’t much left./ 2. or [take things easy] To avoid hard work or worry; have an easy time; live in comfort. •/The doctor said that Bob would have to take things easy for awhile after he had his tonsils out./ •/Barbara likes to take it easy./ •/Grandfather will retire from his job next year and take things easy./ •/Mr. Wilson has just made a lot of money and can take things easy now./
[take it from the top]{v. phr.}, {informal}{Musical and theatrical expression} To start again from the beginning. •/The conductor said, "We must try it once again. Take it from the top and watch my baton."/
[take it into one’s head] or {informal} [take a notion] {v. phr.} To get a sudden idea; decide without thinking. •/The boy suddenly took it into his head to leave school and get a job./ •/Grandmother keeps a bag packed so that she can go visiting whenever she takes a notion./
[take it on the chin]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be badly beaten or hurt. •/Our football team really took it on the chin today. They are all bumps and bruises./ •/Mother and I took it on the chin in the card game./ 2. To accept without complaint something bad that happens to you; accept trouble or defeat calmly. •/A good football player can take it on the chin when his team loses./
[take it or leave it]{v. phr.}, {informal} To accept something without change or refuse it; decide yes or no. — Often used like a command. •/He said the price of the house was $10,000, take it or leave it./
[take it out on]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be unpleasant or unkind to (someone) because you are angry or upset; get rid of upset feelings by being mean to. — Often used with the name of the feeling instead of "it." •/The teacher was angry and took it out on the class./ •/Bob was angry because Father would not let him use the car, and he took it out on his little brother./
[take its toll]{v. phr.} To cause loss or damage. •/The bombs had taken their toll on the little town./ •/The budget cut took its toll of teachers./
[take kindly to]{v.} To be pleased by; like. — Usually used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. •/He doesn’t take kindly to any suggestions about running his business./ •/Will your father take kindly to the idea of your leaving college?/
[take leave of]{v. phr.} I. To abandon, go away from, or become separated from. — Usually used in the phrase "take leave of one’s senses". •/Come down from the roof, Billy! Have you taken leave of your senses?/ 2. See: TAKE ONE’S LEAVE.
[take leave of one’s senses]{v. phr.} To go mad; become crazy. •/"Have you taken leave of your senses? "Jake cried, when he saw Andy swallow a live goldfish./
[take liberties]{v. phr.} To act toward in too close or friendly a manner; use as you would use a close friend or something of your own. •/Mary would not let any boy take liberties with her./ •/Bill took liberties with Tom’s bicycle./ Compare: MAKE FREE WITH.
