verb
Etymology: Middle English taken in, from taken to take + -in
transitive verb
1.
a. : to allow to enter : admit
ship was taking water in
b. : to bring or draw in from outside
air compressor … is used to take in atmospheric air, compress it, and force it into the cabin — H.G.Armstrong
tankers … taking in cargoes of finished oil products — Martin Chisholm
2.
a. : to carry or conduct within doors or into a room ; specifically : to escort (a lady) from a drawing room into dinner
b. : to take into custody : take to a police station as a prisoner
going to have to take you in for attempted homicide — Ellery Queen
3. : to draw into a smaller compass : reduce the extent of (as by shortening or tightening)
take in a slack line
a. : furl
take a sail in
b. : to make (a garment) smaller by making seams, darts, and tucks larger
dress needed to be taken in a bit
4.
a. : to receive as a guest or inmate
inn gladly takes in children
widow had started taking a few lodgers in
b. : to give shelter to
take in a stray dog
5. : to receive in payment or as proceeds of a venture
store takes a lot of money in each day
compare notes on how much each has taken in on his pitch — W.L.Gresham
6.
a. chiefly Britain : to receive (as a periodical) regularly
takes in four daily papers — Christopher Isherwood
b. : to receive (work) into one's house to be done for pay
take in washing
sisters took a little plain sewing in
take in typing jobs
7. : to take (land) into possession : annex , enclose , fence ; also : to take under cultivation
soil was usually exhausted in two or three years, when fresh land was taken in — Mary Tew
8.
a. : to encompass within its limits : comprise , embrace , include
that expansiveness of view which takes in all the discrepant factors — H.A.Overstreet
ban will take in fifty-eight miles of curb space — New York Times
in this day of the guided missile … the real world we live in takes in the whole earth — Herbert Bracker
b.
(1) : to include in an itinerary or visit : explore or visit in seeing the sights
can also take in some of the notable architectural monuments — Paul Henissart
is taking in the sights of the World's Fair — Newsweek
(2) : attend
take in a movie
read more history or take in more plays — W.H.Whyte
9.
a. : to receive into the mind : comprehend , understand
paused a few seconds to take the situation in — Rex Ingamells
was pleased at the … way his mind was taking in impressions and interpreting them — Irwin Shaw
stood motionless as though trying to take in the meaning of her words — Agnes S. Turnbull
cannot easily take in new ideas — Atlantic
b. : to take note of
in the second before she spoke … she had taken in the expensive hat and coat — Ruth Park
: observe keenly
seemed to take him all in anew before answering — S.H.Adams
: perceive
took in the special possibilities open to a monarch for extortion — Francis Hackett
10. : to impose upon : cheat , deceive , trick
prides himself … that he will not be taken in by anybody — Louis Wirth
taken in by a spurious document — G.C.Sellery
couldn't lie convincingly enough to take a child in
even the most experienced eye may be taken in on certain occasions — Henry Wynmalen
intransitive verb
: commence , open
school takes in at nine and lets out at three
•
- take in with