verb
Etymology: Middle English taken on, from taken to take + on
transitive verb
1.
a. : to invest or clothe oneself with : don
dry facts of history take on flesh and blood — V.L.Parrington
b. : add
had been taking flesh on
took on five pounds in one month
c. : to take aboard
train stops only to take on through passengers
put in to take water and provisions on
: load
take cargo on
2.
a. : to begin to perform or deal with : undertake
take a new job on
didn't realize what a responsibility he had taken on — L.C.Douglas
was taking on quite a contract — Russell Lord
I'd just taken on a dealership for milking machines — C.A.Lindbergh b. 1902
b. : to undertake or engage with as or as if an opponent : accept the challenge of
taking on the powerful in behalf of the poor and the weak — P.H.Douglas
took on the wild boar, the water buffalo, the rhinoceros … and he conquered them all — James Thurber
she and two sister subs took on a seventeen-ship convoy — E.L.Beach
funks riding the black colt but takes it on to please his dad — Leslie Rees
took on all comers in the boxing booth attached to the circus — G.E.Odd
3.
a. : engage , hire
company was taking workmen on
take on a bookkeeper
b. : to accept in a relationship
doctor was not taking on any new patients
talked him into taking me on as a client
wife … worked in a war plant but took on one man after another — W.L.Gresham
4.
a. : to assume or acquire (as an appearance or quality) as or as if one's own
can act … in the old-fashioned sense of taking on the complete being and personality of a wide variety of characters — Faubion Bowers
green through all the winter, it now takes on every shade of color — Norman Douglas
had begun to take on that wasted appearance which is characteristic of unused muscles — Grace Reiten
taking on the slowness of a tidal stream — Julian Dana
riddle of church and state has taken on fresh urgency — W.L.Sperry
disease took on epidemic character — C.L.Jones
familiar features … appear in a different perspective, take on another meaning — W.P.Webb
b. : adopt
foreign dynasties in China have always submitted to the superior culture of the Chinese and have taken on their language — Edward Sapir
threw in with the Indians, taking on their dress and manners — F.B.Gipson
soon took on new ways of life — Kemp Malone
5. Scotland : to get into debt for : obtain on credit
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to show one's feelings especially of grief or anger in a demonstrative way : behave or talk excitedly or extravagantly : make a great fuss
took on about it as though he had lost a child — Sherwood Anderson
dressed as an old lady and they cried and took on something terrible until I removed my wig — Bob Hope
b. : to put on airs : behave in a proud or haughty manner
2.
a. : to engage oneself for service especially by enlisting or reenlisting in military service
b. : to begin to associate or consort : take up
3. : to find acceptance ; especially : to become popular : make a hit : catch on
song took on overnight
idea somehow failed to take on