Etymology : Middle English, from Old English tacan, from Old Norse taka; akin to Middle Dutch taken to take
Pronunciation : tAk
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. lift-off, leave the ground in flight; rise off the ground; remove (clothing); bring down; lessen; leave, depart; put an end to, execute. leave by plane, depart on a plane Our plane takes off at 10.
2. We have to go to the airport. take offv.
3. leave; "the family took off for florida" [syn: depart, part, start, start out, set forth, set off, set out].
4. take away or remove, "take that weight off me!".
5. take off from the ground, as of an aircraft or balloon; "the plane departed two hours late" [syn: lift off].
6. take time off from work; stop working temporarily [syn: take time off ].
7. mimic or imitate, esp. in an amusing or satirical manner; "this song takes off from a famous aria".
8. remove clothes; "take off your shirt--it's very hot in here".
9. get started or set in motion, used figuratively, as of a project, [syn: get off the ground].
10. remove; "he doffed his hat" [syn: doff].
11. prove fatal; "the disease took off".
12. make a subtraction [syn: subtract, deduct] [ant: add].
13. remove clothes; "take off your shirt--it's very hot in here" take away or remove; "Take that weight off me!" prove fatal; "The disease took off" mimic or imitate, especially in an amusing or satirical manner; "This song takes off from a famous aria" depart from the ground; "The plane took off two hours late" take time off from work; stop working temporarily.
14. 1. When an aeroplane takes off, it leaves the ground and starts flying. We eventually took off at 11 o'clock and arrived in Venice at 1.
15. ¡Ù land.
16. If something such as a product, an activity, or someone's career takes off, it suddenly becomes very successful. In 1944, he met Edith Piaf, and his career took off.
17. If you take off or take yourself off, you go away, often suddenly and unexpectedly. He took off at once and headed back to the motel He took himself off to Mexico.
18. If you take a garment off, you remove it. He wouldn't take his hat off She took off her spectacles. ¡Ù put on.
19. If you take time off, you obtain permission not to go to work for a short period of time. Mitchel's schedule had not permitted him to take time off She took two days off work.
20. If you take someone off, you make them go with you to a particular place, especially when they do not want to go there. The police stopped her and took her off to a police station = take away.
21. If you take someone off, you imitate them and the things that they do and say, in such a way that you make other people laugh. Mike can take off his father to perfection. = mimic see also:
takeoff.