betake
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause to go (usually used reflexively).
She betook herself to town.
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Archaic. to resort or have recourse to.
verb
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to go; move
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archaic to apply (oneself) to
Etymology
Origin of betake
First recorded in 1175–1225, betake is from the Middle English word bitaken. See be-, take
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"And it is here that I must betake me to my Lord Don Quixote in order that I may learn of him how to confront ridicule and overcome it."
From Time Magazine Archive
Propaganda for return of the pre-machine modes of production is equivalent to preaching that man should do away with clothes, grow hair all over his body and betake himself to the forests.
From Time Magazine Archive
Aving already ad bestselling olidays in Paris and Manhattan, Mrs. 'Arris as ardly anyplace else to betake erself to but the Ouse of Commons.
From Time Magazine Archive
Gradually the household betake themselves to bed and Authoress Dix reviews them as they lie, wrapped in their several irremediable miseries.
From Time Magazine Archive
Christian promised to betake himself to other subjects; and the old man was composed.
From Tales From the 'Phantasus', etc. of Ludwig Tieck by Tieck, Ludwig
Had he not betaken himself elsewhere—and that with her right good-will?
From Judith Shakespeare Her love affairs and other adventures by Black, William
There were double footsteps—those of one approaching and one departing—and the inference was immediately drawn, that the pursued had betaken himself to the castle keep, but had again effected his escape.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Vol. XX by Leighton, Alexander
Meanwhile, Vaughan, as soon as he had seen Sir Charles within the entrance reserved for members, had betaken himself to the main door of the Hall, a few paces to the westward.
From Chippinge Borough by Weyman, Stanley J.
Clear, cloudless, lovely dawned the morrow, and long before office hours I had breakfasted and betaken myself to headquarters.
From Kitty's Conquest by King, Charles
Whereupon Miss Lambkin, with her head in the air, had betaken herself to Mrs. Upjohn.
From Concerning Sally by Hopkins, William John
When conscience has extorted a confession, she returns him to his monastery and God, betaking herself to the Garden of Allah, gem of the desert, where their courtship began and her days will end.
From Time Magazine Archive
On my way home—remember, it was before eight o'clock—I met her betaking herself to what she calls "matins."
From The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 25, January 1893 An Illustrated Monthly by Various
When the three had arrived within a hundred yards of Mr. McGee's destination they separated, each betaking himself to his own lodging-house.
From The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volumes 1 to 4 by Dent, John Charles
"That as you please," said I; and thereupon turned and left the boat, entering my own cabin so soon as I had seen that Captain Leach had obeyed my orders by betaking himself to his.
The unpleasant duty to which he was making up his mind, was the betaking of himself to Cranston.
From Dorrien of Cranston by Mitford, Bertram
Cashier Cardoso betook himself to a Rio hospital where he was reported resting under the care of a staff physician, his brother.
From Time Magazine Archive
From the Vatican, Mr. Levine betook himself the next day to a 15-minute audience with Benito Mussolini.
From Time Magazine Archive
At the close of the Players' Club's The School for Scandal, " America's greatest actress " betook herself to Washington to open a summer vaudeville tour in Barrie's The Twelve Pound Look.
From Time Magazine Archive
Mr. Chamberlain betook him to his residence in Morpeth Mansions.
From Time Magazine Archive
We betook ourselves below and sate ourselves with great satisfaction.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
