TAKE UP

verb Date: 14th century transitive verb pick up , lift , 2. to begin to occupy (land), to gather from a number of sources , 3. to accept or adopt for the purpose of assisting, to accept or adopt as one's own , to absorb or incorporate into itself , 4. to enter upon (as a business, hobby, or subject of study) , to proceed to consider or deal with , to establish oneself in , to occupy entirely or exclusively ; fill up , to make tighter or shorter , to respond favorably to (as a person offering a bet, challenge, or proposal) , to begin again or take over from another , intransitive verb to make a beginning where another has left off, to become shortened ; draw together ; shrink