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What does "take" mean?

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See take in WNW Idioms

on the take

Slang willing or seeking to take bribes or illicit income

take after

to be, act, or look like
to run after or pursue
also take out (or off) after take out (or off) after

take a meeting

Slang to attend a business conference

take amiss

Archaic to be wrong concerning; mistake
to misunderstand the reason behind (an act), esp. so as to become offended

take back

to regain use or possession of
to retract (something said, promised, etc.)
to return (something), as to be exchanged

take down

to remove from a higher place and put in a lower one; pull down
to unfasten; take apart
to make less conceited; humble
to put in writing; record

take five (or ten, etc.)

Informal take a break for five (or ten, etc.) minutes, as from working

take for

to consider to be; regard as
to mistake for

take hold

to take effect or become firmly established the new fad took hold quickly

take hold of

to seize; grasp

take in

to admit; receive
to shorten (a sail) by reefing or furling
to make smaller or more compact
to include; comprise
to understand; comprehend
to cheat; trick; deceive
â to visit, see, experience, etc. to take in all the sights
to receive into one's home for pay to take in boarders

take it

to suppose; believe
â Slang to withstand difficulty, criticism, hardship, ridicule, etc.

take it or leave it

accept it or not

take it out of

Informal

to exhaust; tire
to obtain payment or satisfaction from

take it out on

Informal to make (another) suffer for one's own anger, irritation, bad temper, etc.

take off

to remove (a garment, etc.)
to draw or conduct away
1. to go away; depart
2. to absent oneself, as from work
to deduct; subtract
to kill
to make a copy or likeness of
to leave the ground or water in flight
Informal to start
Informal to imitate in a burlesque manner; parody: with on
Informal to become very popular and successful
Slang to rob

take on

to acquire; assume (form, quality, etc.)
to employ; hire
to begin to do (a task, etc.); undertake
to compete or play against; oppose
Informal to show violent emotion, especially anger or sorrow

take one's time

to be slow or unhurried; delay

take out

1. to remove; extract
2. to deduct
to obtain by application to the proper authority
Informal to escort
Slang to kill; specif., to assassinate
Bridge to bid higher than (one's partner) but in a different suit

take over

to assume control or possession of

take to

to develop a habit or practice of doing, using, etc.
to apply oneself to (one's studies, work, etc.)
to become fond of; care for; be attracted to
1. to go to or withdraw to to take to the hills, take to one's bed with the flu
2. to travel on or proceed by to take to the open road

take up

to raise; lift
to make tighter or shorter
to pay off; recover by buying (a mortgage, note, etc.)
to absorb (a liquid)
to accept (a challenge, bet, etc.)
to assume protection or custody of
to interrupt in disapproval or rebuke: with on
to resume (something interrupted)
1. to become interested in or devoted to (an occupation, study, hobby, belief, etc.)
2. to adopt (an idea)
to occupy or fill (space or time)

take upon oneself

or take on oneself

to take the responsibility for; accept as a charge
to begin (to do something)

take up with

Informal to become a friend or companion of

See take in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Idioms

take notice of

To pay attention to.

take (one's) breath away

To put into a state of awe or shock.

take (one's) time

To act slowly or at one's leisure.

take place

To happen; occur.

take root

To become established or fixed.
To become rooted.

take shape

To take on a distinctive form.

take sick

Chiefly Southern U.S.

To become ill.

take sides

To associate with and support a particular faction, group, cause, or person.

take stock

To take an inventory.
To make an estimate or appraisal, as of resources or of oneself.

take stock in

To trust, believe in, or attach importance to.

take the bench

Law

To assume a judicial position.

take the cake

To be the most outrageous or disappointing.
To win the prize; be outstanding.

take the count

To be defeated.

Sports

To be counted out in boxing.

fall

take the /hit Slang

To incur blame or censure, either willingly or unwillingly: a senior official who took the fall for the failed intelligence operation.

take the floor

To rise to deliver a formal speech, as to an assembly.

take the heat

Slang

To incur and endure heavy censure or criticism: had a reputation for being able to take the heat in a crisis.

take to the cleaners

Slang

To take all the money or possessions of, especially by outsmarting or swindling.

take up for

To support (a person or group, for example) in an argument.

take up the cudgels

To join in a dispute, especially in defense of a participant.

take up with

Informal

To begin to associate with; consort with: took up with a fast crowd.

take kindly to

To be receptive to: take kindly to constructive criticism.
To be naturally attracted or fitted to; thrive on.

take lying down

Informal

To submit to harsh treatment with no resistance: refused to take the snub lying down.

take it or leave it

To accept or reject unconditionally.

take it out on

Informal

To abuse (someone) in venting one's own anger.

take heart

To be confident or courageous.

take hold

To seize, as by grasping.
To become established: The newly planted vines quickly took hold.

take it

To understand; assume: As I take it, they won't accept the proposal.

Informal

To endure abuse, criticism, or other harsh treatment: If you can dish it out, you've got to learn to take it.

take it on the chin

Slang

To endure punishment, suffering, or defeat.

take a bath

Informal

To experience serious financial loss: “Small investors who latched on to hot new issues took a bath in Wall Street” (Paul A. Samuelson).

take account of

To take into consideration.

take away from

To detract from: Drab curtains took away from the otherwise lovely room.

take care

To be careful: Take care or you will slip on the ice.

take care of

To assume responsibility for the maintenance, support, or treatment of.

take charge

To assume control or command.

take effect

To become operative, as under law or regulation: The curfew takes effect at midnight.
To produce the desired reaction: The antibiotics at last began to take effect.

take exception

To express opposition by argument; object to: took exception to the prosecutor's line of questioning.

five

take /ten Slang

To take a short rest or break, as of five or ten minutes.

take for granted