Emily Dickinson Lexicon

TAKE, v.i.

1. To move or direct the course; to resort to, or to attach one's self; to betake one's self. The fox being hard pressed, took to the hedge. My friend has left his music, and taken to books. The defluxion taking to his breast, wasted his lungs. Bacon.
2. To please; to gain reception. The play will not take, unless it is set oft with proper scenes. Each wit may praise it for his own dear sake, / And hint he writ it, if the thing should take. Addison.
3. To have the intended or natural effect. In impressions from mind to mind, the impression taketh. Bacon.
4. To catch; to fix, or be fixed. He was inoculated, but the infection did not take. When flame taketh and openeth, it giveth a noise. Bacon. To take after, to learn to follow; to copy; to imitate; as, he takes after a good pattern. #2. To resemble; as, the son takes after his father. To take in with, to resort to. Bacon. To take for, to mistake; to suppose or think one thing to be another. The lord of the land took us for spies. Gen. xlii. To take on, to be violently affected; as, the child takes on at a great rate. #2. To claim, as a character. I take not on me here as a physician. Shak. To take to, to apply to; to be fond of; to become attached to; as, to take to books; to take to evil practices. #2. To resort to; to betake to. Men of learning who take to business, discharge it generally with greater honesty than men of the world. Addison. To take up, to stop. Sinners at last take up and settle in a contempt of all religion. [Not in use.] Tillotson. #2. To reform. [Not in use.] Locke. To take up with, to be contented to receive; to receive without opposition; as, to take up with plain fare. In affairs which may have an extensive influence on our future happiness, we should not take up with probabilities. Watts. #2. To lodge; to dwell. [Not in use.] South. To take with, to please. The proposal takes well with him.