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take-up
[teyk-uhp]
noun
the act of taking up.
Machinery.
any of various devices for taking up slack, winding in, or compensating for the looseness of parts due to wear.
the contraction of fabric resulting from the wet operations in the finishing process, especially fulling.
take up
verb
to adopt the study, practice, or activity of
to take up gardening
to occupy and break in (uncultivated land)
he took up some hundreds of acres in the back country
to shorten (a garment or part of a garment)
she took all her skirts up three inches
to pay off (a note, mortgage, etc)
to agree to or accept (an invitation, etc)
to pursue further or resume (something)
he took up French where he left off
to absorb (a liquid)
to adopt as a protégé; act as a patron to
to occupy or fill (space or time)
to interrupt, esp in order to contradict or criticize
to argue or dispute with (someone)
can I take you up on two points in your talk?
to accept what is offered by (someone)
let me take you up on your invitation
to discuss with (someone); refer to
to take up a fault with the manufacturers
(intr) to begin to keep company or associate with
noun
the claiming or acceptance of something, esp a state benefit, that is due or available
( as modifier )
take-up rate
machinery the distance through which a part must move to absorb the free play in a system
(modifier) denoting the part of a mechanism on which film, tape, or wire is wound up
a take-up spool on a tape recorder
Word History and Origins
Origin of take up1
Idioms and Phrases
Raise, lift, as in We have to take up the old carpet and sand the floor . [c. 1300]
Reduce in size, shorten, tighten, as in I have to take up the hem of this coat , or You have to take up the slack in that reel or you'll never land a fish . [c. 1800]
Station oneself, settle in, as in We took up our positions at the front . [Mid-1500s]
Accept an option, bet, or challenge, as in No one wanted to take up that bet . This usage is often expanded to take someone up on , as in You're offering to clean the barn? I'll take you up on that . Take up dates from about 1700, the variant from the early 1900s.
Develop an interest in, begin an activity, as in Jim took up gardening . [Mid-1400s] Also see go into , def. 3.
Use up or occupy entirely, as in The extra duties took up most of my time , or This desk takes up too much space in the office , or How much room will your car take up? [c. 1600]
Begin again, resume, as in I'll take up the story where you left off . [Mid-1600s]
Deal with, as in Let's take up these questions one at a time . [c. 1500]
Absorb, as in These large trees are taking up all the water in the soil . [Late 1600s]
Support, adopt as a protegé, as in She's always taking up one or another young singer . [Late 1300s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with take up .
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