- take up
- verb1. pursue or resume (Freq. 9)-
take up a matter for consideration
• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
2. adopt (Freq. 5)-take up new ideas
• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s PP
-Somebody ——s something
3. turn one's interest to (Freq. 4)-He took up herpetology at the age of fifty
• Hypernyms: ↑turn• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
-Somebody ——s VERB-ing
4. take up time or space (Freq. 3)-take up the slack
• Verb Frames:-Something ——s something
5. begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job (Freq. 2)-Take up a position
-start a new job
• Syn: ↑start• Hyponyms: ↑take office• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
6. take up and practice as one's own (Freq. 1)• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
-Somebody ——s something from somebody
7. occupy or take on (Freq. 1)-He assumes the lotus position
-She took her seat on the stage
-We took our seats in the orchestra
-She took up her position behind the tree
-strike a pose
• Hypernyms: ↑move• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
8. take out or up with or as if with a scoop (Freq. 1)-scoop the sugar out of the container
• Hyponyms: ↑dip• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
-Something ——s something
9. take up a liquid or a gas either by adsorption or by absorption (Freq. 1)• Syn: ↑sorb• Topics: ↑chemistry, ↑chemical science• Hypernyms: ↑change state, ↑turn• Verb Frames:-Something ——s something
10. accept-The cloth takes up the liquid
• Syn: ↑take in• Hyponyms: ↑fuel• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
-Somebody ——s somebody
-Something ——s somebody
-Something ——s something
11. return to a previous location or condition-The painting resumed its old condition when we restored it
• Syn: ↑resume• Hypernyms: ↑change• Verb Frames:-Something ——s something
12. take in, also metaphorically-The sponge absorbs water well
-She drew strength from the minister's words
• Syn:• Derivationally related forms: ↑imbiber (for: ↑imbibe), ↑suck (for: ↑suck), ↑sucker (for: ↑suck), ↑absorption (for: ↑absorb), ↑absorber (for: ↑absorb)• Verb Frames:-Something ——s something
13. take up as if with a sponge• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
* * *
If you take up an activity, you become interested in it and start doing it.I thought I'd take up fishing.
\He took up gymnastics at the age of nine.
Take up has another meaning. If an activity takes up a lot of your time, you spend a lot of time doing it....the cumbersome administrative work that took up staff time.
\At the moment `Oliver' is taking a lot of my time up.
Similarly, if something takes up an amount of space, it occupies all of it.Dresses don't take up much space.
\They don't take up any more room than a passport.
◊ 'take off'When a plane leaves the ground and starts flying, you do not say that it `takes up'. You say that it takes off....small planes standing ready to take off.
\Journalists gathered at the airport to watch us take off.
* * *
take up [phrasal verb]1 take up or take up (something) or take (something) up : to begin (something) again : to continue (something) after you or another person stopsShe took up [=picked up] the story where he left off.
He is hoping that he and his ex-girlfriend can take up [=that they can continue their relationship] where they left off.
The new couch takes up half of the room.
I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I do have a few questions.
The entire day was taken up by/with meetings.
We don't use this table for anything. It's just taking up space.
I was thinking about taking up skiing/dancing/photography.
She took up the guitar at age 11.
taking up art lessons
The cause of global warming has been taken up by many celebrities recently.
The court took up the question of how to deal with companies that break the law.
He seemed willing to take up [=take on] the challenge.
He will take up his post [=begin working at his new post/job] at the beginning of the year.
She went to France and took up residence in Paris. [=became a resident of Paris; began living in Paris]
She took up [=she began to lead] the life of an artist. = She took up life as an artist.
They took up hammers and nails and went to work building the house.
Once again, they took up arms [=picked up weapons and became ready to fight] to defend their country.
We took up the carpet in the living room and replaced it with hardwood flooring.
They are taking up a collection for the homeless shelter.
After her divorce, she took up with a younger man.
— see also ↑take-up• • •Main Entry: ↑take* * *
ˌtake ˈup derivedto continue, especially starting after sb/sth else has finished•
The band's new album takes up where their last one left off.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
