[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.
[take lying down]{v. phr.} To accept something without defense or protest. •/If you take such insults lying down, you will only encourage more of the same./
[taken aback] also [taken back] {adj.} Unpleasantly surprised; suddenly puzzled or shocked. •/When he came to pay for his dinner he was taken aback to find that he had left his wallet at home./
[taken by] or [with] {v. phr.} To be impressed by; intrigued by. •/Ned was much taken by the elegance of Sophie’s manners./
[take no stock in] See: TAKE STOCK IN.
[take note of] or [take notice of] {v. phr.} 1. To look carefully at; pay close attention to; observe well. •/A detective is trained to take note of people and things./ 2. To notice and act in response; pay attention. •/Two boys were talking together in the back of the room but the teacher took no notice of them./ •/The principal thanked everyone who helped in the program, and took note of the decorations made by the art class./
[take oath]{v. phr.} To promise to tell the truth or to do some task honestly, calling on God or some person or thing as a witness. •/Mary took her oath that she did not steal the watch./ •/John took oath that he would fill the office of president faithfully./
[takeoff]{n.} 1. Departure of an airplane; the act of becoming airborne. •/The nervous passenger was relieved that we had such a wonderfully smooth takeoff./ 2. Imitation; a parody. •/Vaughn Meader used to do a wonderful takeoff on President Kennedy’s speech./
[take off]{v. phr.} 1a. To leave fast; depart suddenly; run away. •/The dog took off after a rabbit./ Compare: LIGHT OUT. 1b. {informal} To go away; leave. •/The six boys got into the car and took off for the drug store./ 2. To leave on a flight, begin going up. •/A helicopter is able to take off and land straight up or down./ 3. {informal} To imitate amusingly; copy another person’s habitual actions or speech. •/He made a career of taking off famous people for nightclub audiences./ •/At the party, Charlie took off the principal and some of the teachers./ 4. To take (time) to be absent from work. •/When his wife was sick he took off from work./ •/Bill was tired out so he took the day off./
[take off one’s hat to]{v. phr.} To give honor, praise, and respect to. •/He is my enemy, but I take off my hat to him for his courage./ Compare: HAND IT TO.
[take offense at]{v. phr.} To become indignant; become angry. •/Why do you always take offense at everything I say?/
[take off one’s hands]{v. phr.} 1. To abdicate one’s responsibility of a person or matter. •/"I am herewith taking my hand off your affairs," Lou’s father said. "See how you succeed on your own."/ 2. To buy; relieve someone of something. •/He offered to take my old car off my hands for $350./
[take off the edge] See: TAKE THE EDGE OFF.
[take on]{v.} 1. To receive for carrying; be loaded with. •/A big ship was at the dock taking on automobiles in crates to carry overseas for sale./ •/The bus driver stopped at the curb to take the woman on./ 2. To begin to have (the look of); take (the appearance of). •/Others joined the fistfight until it took on the look of a riot./ •/After the students put up Christmas decorations, the classroom took on a holiday appearance./ 3a. To give a job to; hire; employ. •/The factory has opened and is beginning to take on new workers./ Contrast: LET GO(4), LET OFF, LET OUT(6). 3b. To accept in business or a contest. •/The big man took on two opponents at once./ •/After his father died, Bill took on the management of the factory./ •/We knew their football team was bigger and stronger, but we took them on anyway and beat them./ 4. {informal} To show great excitement, grief, or anger. •/At the news of her husband’s death she took on like a madwoman./ Compare: CARRY-ON.
[take one at one’s word]{v. phr.} To naively lend credence to what one tells one. •/It’s a bad idea to take street vendors at their word in large, crowded cities./
[take one’s breath away]{v. phr.} To surprise greatly; impress very much; leave speechless with surprise or wonder or delight; astonish. •/The sunset is so beautiful it takes our breath away./ •/His refusal was so unexpected it took my breath away./ Compare: CATCH ONE’S BREATH(1).
[take one’s death of] See: CATCH ONE’S DEATH OF.
[take one’s leave] or [take leave of] {v. phr.}, {formal} To say good-bye and leave. •/He stayed on after most of the guests had taken their leave./ •/The messenger bowed and took leave of the queen./ — [leave-taking] {n.} The end of school in June is a time of leave-taking.
[take one’s life in one’s hands]{v. phr.} To face great danger or take great risk. •/Driving that car with those worn tires would be taking your life in your hands./ •/He took his life in his hands when he tried to capture the wild horse./
[take one’s measure] or [take the measure of] {v. phr.} To judge the character, quality, or nature of; try to guess about something — how hard or easy, dangerous or safe, good or bad, etc. •/The boxers sparred for a while taking each other’s measure./ •/John took the measure of the cliff before he climbed it./ Compare: SIZE UP.
[take one’s medicine]{v. phr.} To accept punishment without complaining. •/The boy said he was sorry he broke the window and was ready to take his medicine./ Compare: FACE THE MUSIC(2).
[take one’s name in vain]{v. phr.} 1. To call upon (God) as a witness to your truth or honesty when you are lying; swear by (God) untruthfully. •/You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain./ 2. {informal} To talk about a person or mention his name. •/"Did I hear someone taking my name in vain?" asked Bill as he joined his friends./
[take one’s time]{v. phr.} To avoid haste; act in an unhurried way. •/He liked to take his time over breakfast./ •/It is better to take your time at this job than to hurry and make mistakes./
[take one’s word]{v. phr.} To believe one’s promise. •/Herb took Eric’s word when he promised to pay up his debt./
[take on faith]{v. phr.} To lend credence to something due to one’s confidence in the source, rather than based on evidence. •/One should never take on faith what one hears about Washington politics./
[take on oneself] or [take upon oneself] {v. phr.} 1. To accept as a duty or responsibility. •/He took it on himself to see that the packages were delivered./ 2. To assume wrongfully or without permission as a right or privilege. •/You should not have taken it upon yourself to accept the invitation for the whole family./
[take one wrong] See: GET ONE WRONG.
[take on the chin]{v. phr.} To gracefully accept criticism. •/It’s good to be able to tell people what they do wrong, but it is equally important to be able to take it on the chin when they tell you what you have done wrong./
[take out]{v. phr.} 1. To ask for and fill in. •/Mary and John took out a marriage license./ 2. To begin to run. •/When the window broke, the boys took out in all directions./ •/When the wind blew the man’s hat off, Charlie took out after it./ See: TAKE IT OUT ON.
[take out after]{v. phr.} To start pursuing one. •/The watchdog took out after the burglars./
[take out on]{v. phr.} To vent one’s sadness, frustration, or anger on someone who is usually innocent of the problem at hand. •/"Why are you always taking out your frustrations on me?" Jane asked Tom, when he slammed the door./
[take-out order]{n. phr.} An order in a restaurant that one does not eat on the premises, but takes home. •/The new Chinese restaurant on the corner sells nice take-out orders./
[take over]{v.} 1a. To take control or possession of. •/He expects to take over the business when his father retires./ 1b. To take charge or responsibility. •/The airplane pilot fainted and his co-pilot had to take over./ 2. To borrow, imitate, or adopt. •/The Japanese have taken over many European ways of life./
[take pains]{v. phr.} To do something very carefully and thoroughly. •/She had taken pains to see that her guests had everything that they could possibly want./ •/She always takes pains with her appearance./
[take part]{v. phr.} To have a part or share; join. •/Jim saw the new boy watching the game and asked him to take part./ •/The Swiss did not take part in the two World Wars./
[take pity on] also [take pity upon] {v. phr.} To feel sympathy or pity and do something for. •/Mary took pity on the orphan kittens./ •/The farmer took pity upon the campers, and let them stay in his barn during the rain./
[take place]{v. phr.} To happen; occur. •/The accident took place only a block from his home./ •/The action of the play takes place in ancient Rome./ •/The dance will take place after the graduation exercises./ Compare: GO ON(3).
[take potluck]{v. phr.} To share as a guest an everyday meal without special preparation. •/You are welcome to stay for dinner if you will take potluck./ •/They were about to have lunch when he phoned and they asked him to take potluck with them./
[take root]{v. phr.} 1. To form roots so as to be able to live and grow. •/We hope the transplanted apple trees will take root./ 2. To be accepted; to be adopted; to live and succeed in a new place. •/Many European customs failed to take root in the New World./ •/The immigrants to our country took root and began to think of themselves as Native Americans./
[take shape]{v. phr.} To grow or develop into a certain fixed form. •/Plans for our vacation are beginning to take shape./ •/Their new home took shape as the weeks went by./ Compare: SHAPE UP.
[take sick] See: TAKE ILL.
[take sides]{v. phr.} To join one group against another in a debate or quarrel. •/Switzerland refused to take sides in the two World Wars./ •/Tom wanted to go fishing. Dick wanted to take a hike. Bob took sides with Tom so they all went fishing./ Compare: LINE UP(4b). Contrast: ON THE FENCE.
[take someone for a ride]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To cheat or swindle someone. •/Poor Joe Catwallender was taken for a ride./ 2. To kill someone after kidnapping. •/The criminals took the man for a ride./
[take steps]{v. phr.} To begin to make plans or arrangements; make preparations; give orders. — Usually used with "to" and an infinitive. •/The city is taking steps to replace its streetcars with busses./
[take stock]{v. phr.} 1. To count exactly the items of merchandise or supplies in stock; take inventory. •/The grocery store took stock every week on Monday mornings./ 2. To study carefully a situation, or a number of possibilities or opportunities. •/During the battle the commander paused to take stock of the situation./ Compare: SIZE UP.
[take stock in]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have faith in; trust; believe. — Usually used in the negative. •/He took no stock in the idea that women were better cooks than men./ •/They took little or no stock in the boy’s story that he had lost the money./ •/Do you take any stock in the gossip about Joan?/
[take the bit in one’s mouth] also [take the bit in one’s teeth] {adv. phr.} To have your own way; take charge of things; take control of something. •/When Mary wanted something, she was likely to take the bit in her teeth and her parents could do nothing with her./ Compare: TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS, TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS.
