take to

verb

1. to make for; flee to

   to take to the hills

2. to form a liking for, esp after a short acquaintance

   I took to him straightaway

3. to have recourse to

   to take to the bottle

4. to regard seriously

Idioms and Phrases

Have recourse to, go to, as in They took to the woods . [c. 1200]

Develop as a habit or steady practice, as in He took to coming home later and later . [c. 1300]

Become fond of, like, as in I took to him immediately , or The first time she skied she took to it . This expression, from the mid-1700s, is sometimes expanded to take to it like a duck to water , a simile dating from the late 1800s.

take to be . Understand, consider, or assume, as in I took it to be the right entrance . [Mid-1500s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with take to .

Related Words

• accept 
• advocate 
• appreciate 
• approve 
• back 
• champion 
• choose 
• encourage 
• endorse 
• pick 
• praise 
• support