- Home
- Idioms
- take in
take in
take someone in
1. to give someone shelter. (See also
take something in.)
Do you think you could take me in for the night? I don't take in strangers. 2. Go to suck someone in.
take (someone, something, or an animal) in(side)
to transport someone, something, or an animal to shelter or inside something. Please take your little brother in. It's starting to rain. Take the dog inside when you go.
take something in
1. to reduce the size of a garment. This is too big. I'll have to take it in around the waist. I'll have to take in these pants.
2. to view and study something; to attend something involving viewing. The mountains are so beautiful! I need an hour or so to take it all in. I want to sit here a minute and take in the view. Wouldyou like to take in a movie?
3. to receive money as payment or proceeds. How much did we take in today? The box office took nearly a thousand dollars in within just the last hour.
4. to receive something into the mind, usually visually. Could you take those explanations in? I couldn't. I could hardly take in everything she said.
5. to inhale, drink, or eat something. I think I'll go for a walk and take some fresh air in. Jane was very ill, but she managed to take in some fresh air from the open window.
6. Go to take something into some place.
take in somebody
also take somebody in1. to deceive someone Do you think the teacher was taken in by your excuse? That sales pitch totally took us in.
2. to provide a place for someone to live or stay His aunt took him in when his mother died. I couldn't believe Tim wanted us to take in some guy who'd been living on the street.
take in something
also take something in1. to see something We took in the new Scorcese movie last night. We drove around the island, seeing the sights and taking it all in.
2. to understand the meaning or importance of something I had to read the letter twice before I could take in all that it said. His father described the plan, but Nick's imagination couldn't take it in.
3. to make clothes smaller These pants fit much better since I had them taken in.
4. to receive money from sales The show took in $100,000 over this weekend alone.
take in
1. Admit, receive as a guest or employee, as in They offered to take in two of the orphaned children. [First half of 1500s]
2. Reduce in size, make smaller or shorter, as in I've lost some weight so I'll have to take in my clothes. [Early 1500s]
3. Include or constitute, as in This list takes in all the members, past and present. [Mid-1600s]
4. Understand, as in I couldn't take in all that French dialogue in the movie. [Second half of 1600s]
5. Deceive, swindle, as in That alleged fundraiser took me in completely. [First half of 1700s]
6. Look at thoroughly, as in We want to take in all the sights. [First half of 1700s]
7. Accept work to be done at home, as in His grandmother took in washing to support her children. [First half of 1800s]
8. Receive as proceeds, as in We had a good audience; how much did we take in? [Late 1800s] Also see the following entries beginning with take in.
take in
v.1. To allow something to enter or flow in: The boat took in 40 gallons of water before we could fix the leak. Roots take nutrients in from the soil.
2. To admit someone. Used of institutions: The academy takes in only four new students per year. The university took the transfer student in.
3. To have someone or something live or lodge in one's house: We took in several refugees during the war. The foster family took the runaway in.
4. To deliver something or someone to a place of treatment or repair: The car's brakes aren't working well, so we have to take it in.
5. To convey someone who has been arrested to a police station: If the police find out that your driver's license has expired, they will take you in. They took in that suspect who jumped bail.
6. To include or constitute something: The United States takes in the land north of Mexico and south of Canada.
7. To understand or appreciate something that one is hearing or experiencing: I couldn't take in everything they said. I went to the countryside and took in the beauty of the landscape. The lecture was so profound that I couldn't take it all in.
8. To deceive or swindle someone. Used chiefly in the passive: I was taken in by a confidence artist.
9. To accept some work to be done in one's house for pay: Why don't you take in a typing job to get extra money for school?
10. To make some article of clothing smaller, narrower, or shorter: I took in the waist on that pair of pants. The tailor took the shorts in.