Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Capturing interest; fetching.
  • adjective Contagious; catching. Used of an infectious disease.
  • noun The act of one that takes.
  • noun Something taken, as a catch of fish.
  • noun Law An action by a government, especially under the power of eminent domain, that deprives a private owner of real property or of the use and enjoyment of that property.
  • noun Informal Receipts, especially of money.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Captivating; engaging; attractive; pleasing.
  • Blighting; baleful; noxious; spreading contagion; infectious.
  • Easily taken; contagious; catching.
  • noun The act of one who takes, in any sense.
  • noun The state of being taken; especially, a state of agitation, distress, or perplexity; predicament; dilemma.
  • noun That which takes.
  • noun Hence— An attack of sickness; a sore.
  • noun That which is taken.
  • noun In printing, same as take, 3 .

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Apt to take; alluring; attracting.
  • adjective obsolete Infectious; contageous.
  • noun The act of gaining possession; a seizing; seizure; apprehension.
  • noun colloq. Agitation; excitement; distress of mind.
  • noun obsolete Malign influence; infection.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective alluring; attractive.
  • noun uncountable A seizure of someone's goods or possessions.
  • noun uncountable An apprehension.
  • noun countable That which has been gained.
  • verb Present participle of take.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective very attractive; capturing interest
  • noun the act of someone who picks up or takes something

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Give it a fair trial and you will agree that taking pictures -- the mere _taking_, with no bothering your head about developing, printing, toning and the like -- is a matter no more baffling than the simple art of learning to punch the letters on the keyboard of a typewriter.

    If You Don't Write Fiction Charles Phelps Cushing

  • It proved to be a _taking in_, instead of a _taking up_, and the taking in was on the other side.

    Mike Marble His Crotchets and Oddities. 1835

  • Had Rob Hulse not turned an easy chance over the crossbar in the 80th minute after the United goalkeeper parried a shot from Commons into his path, the home side, with David Lowe taking charge in the ­dugout and Robbie Savage reinstated as a substitute, would be ­taking a two-goal lead into the return leg on January

    Sport news, comment and results | guardian.co.uk 2009

  • “I care about her a lot,” he admitted, his expression taking on a faroff look.

    Hell’s Gate Stephen Frey 2009

  • “I care about her a lot,” he admitted, his expression taking on a faroff look.

    Hell’s Gate Stephen Frey 2009

  • “I care about her a lot,” he admitted, his expression taking on a faroff look.

    Hell’s Gate Stephen Frey 2009

  • Like thieves, murderers and traffic wardens, they seem to rejoice in taking from the world rather than adding to it.

    I Thought We Were Trying To Build A Better World Here… - :: gia’s blog :: 2007

  • Aaron Peirsol also defended his title taking the gold in the men's 100 meter backstroke and breaking the world record.

    CNN Transcript Aug 12, 2008 2008

  • Aaron Peirsol also defended his title taking the gold in the men's 100 meter backstroke and breaking the world record.

    CNN Transcript Aug 12, 2008 2008

  • Taking a safe direction in life (skyabs-'gro, taking refuge) is an active process, not a passive one of seeking protection from higher powers, as the term taking refuge might imply.

    Identifying the Objects of Safe Direction (Refuge) 2002

  • That’s a phrase we use in discussing the big con: taking dead aim—deeply researching somebody’s habits.”

    Ricky Jay’s Magical Secrets Condé Nast 1993

Comments

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  • "Yes, she certainly is an odd child, but there is something kind of taking about her after all" (-Mrs. Rachel Lynde)

    June 8, 2009