Dictionary

take in en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /tæɪk‿ˈɪn/ (Australia)
• (US) audio
• /teɪk‿ˈɪn/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /tæɪk‿ˈən/ (New-Zealand)

Meanings

1. (transitive) To receive.
   • The company took in more than forty million euros last year.
2. (transitive) To receive and properly absorb or comprehend.
   • At the final whistle, it was just like old times as those thousands of Leicester supporters stayed in their seats for the trophy celebration to take in scenes that will live with them forever while the Chelsea end was a scene of desolation before it became a sea of deserted red seats. 2021 May 15, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-1 Leicester”, in BBC Sport:
   • I was so sleepy that I hardly took in any of the lecture.
   • The news is a lot to take in right now.
3. (transitive) To enjoy or appreciate.
   • Just relax and take in the fresh ocean air.
   • I'm just going to sit on a bench and take in the scenery.
4. (transitive) To allow a person or an animal to live in one's home.
   • take in a stray cat
5. (transitive) To receive (goods) into one's home for the purpose of processing for a fee.
   • In hard times, some women would take in washing and others dressmaking repairs.
6. (transitive) To shorten (a garment) or make it smaller.
   • Try taking the skirt in a little around the waist.
7. (transitive) To attend a showing of.
   • take in a movie
   • take in a show
   • […] and for lack of anything else to do I thought I'd take in a strip show. 1986, Rusty Brown, “Always Me”, in Marcy Adelman, editor, Long Time Passing: Lives Of Older Lesbians, page 149:
8. (transitive) To deceive; to hoodwink.
   • Their grandma lost thousands of dollars because she was taken in by scammers.
   • She liked and trusted everybody, which was the reason why she was so popular, and so often taken in. 1909, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 3, in The Gem Collector:
9. (transitive) To tighten (a belaying rope).
10. (obsolete) To subscribe to home delivery of.
    • [James Whiteside:] May I ask what newspaper you take in? [John Jolly:] I take in no newspaper. [James Whiteside:] Well, then, what newspapers do you read? [John Jolly:] I am glad to see any of them. 1844 January 23, cross-examination in the case of R v Daniel O'Connell, et al., reprinted in, 1844, John Flanedy, editor, A Special Report of the Proceedings in the Case of the Queen against Daniel O'Connell […] on an Indictment for Conspiracy and Misdemeanour, page 218 http://google.com/books?id=do7RAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA218&dq=%22take+in+no+newspaper%22
11. To reef.
    • The second mate holds on to the main top-gallant sail until a heavy sea is shipped, and washes over the forecastle as though the whole ocean had come aboard; when a noise further aft shows that that sail, too, is taking in. 1840, R[ichard] H[enry] D[ana], Jr., “CHAPTER XXXV”, in Two Years before the Mast. […] (Harper’s Family Library; no. CVI), New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers […], →OCLC:
12. (transitive) To arrest (a person).
    • The police took in the suspect.
    • They didn't take me in but they let it sink in that I was headed for a fall. 2010, Patterson Hood, “The Fourth Night of My Drinking”, in The Big To-Do, performed by Drive-By Truckers:

Forms

Antonyms

let out · let down

Deriveds

take-in

Synonyms

take up · take up

Translations (32)

es procesar (absorb; comprehend) · it vincolare (absorb; comprehend) · it abbindolare (deceive; hoodwink) · eo superruzi (deceive; hoodwink) · fr rouler (deceive; hoodwink) · io dupigar (deceive; hoodwink) · ja 騙す (deceive; hoodwink) · pl przygarnąć (allow to live in one's home) · hu befogad (absorb; comprehend) · fi jymäyttää (deceive; hoodwink) · bg попивам (absorb; comprehend) · it fare lavoretti in casa (receive into one's home for the purpose of processing for a fee) · fr duper (deceive; hoodwink) · hu felfog (absorb; comprehend) · it prendere (absorb; comprehend) · it imbrogliare (deceive; hoodwink) · bg приемам (allow to live in one's home) · de einwickeln (deceive; hoodwink) · ru приюти́ть (allow to live in one's home) · fr assimiler (absorb; comprehend) · fr absorber (absorb; comprehend) · it ingannare (deceive; hoodwink) · it ospitare (allow to live in one's home) · pl przygarniać (allow to live in one's home) · pt acolher (allow to live in one's home) · it accogliere (allow to live in one's home) · es digerir (absorb; comprehend) · it assorbire (absorb; comprehend) · es acoger (allow to live in one's home) · hu befogad (allow to live in one's home) · bg поемам (absorb; comprehend) · it impegnare (absorb; comprehend)