amuse or interest someone who is feeling unhappy or unwell 5 take it out of someone infml to use all someone's strength: The long journey seems to have taken it out of her.→ see also TAKE
take sthg. out on sbdy. phr v [T] to express (one's feelings) by making (someone else) suffer: It's not my fault you've had a bad day; don't take it out on me.
take (sth. ⇔) over phr v [|;T] to gain control over and responsibility for (something): Who do you think will take over now that the governor has been dismissed? | I'm feeling too tired to drive any more; will you take over? → compare OVERTAKE; see also TAKEOVER
take to sbdy./sthg. phr v [T] 1 to feel a liking for, especially at once; I took to Paul as soon as we met. | I'm not sure if he'll take to the idea. 2 to begin as a practice, habit etc: All this gloomy news is enough to make you take to drink. | [+v-ing] Just lately he's taken to hiding his socks under the carpet. 3 to go to for rest, hiding, escape etc: Father's ill, so he's taken to his bed. | The criminals took to the hills.
take sbdy./sth. $\Leftrightarrow$ up phr v [T] 1 to begin to spend time doing; interest oneself in: John took up acting while he was at college. [+v-ing] Alfred's just taken up playing the guitar. 2 to ask about or take further action about: I'll take this matter up with my lawyers. No one took up my suggestion. 3 (of things or events) to fill or use (space or time), especially in a way that is undesirable: The job took up most of Sunday. These boxes of yours are taking up too much space. AmE cut down BrE— (of trousers, skirts etc) to reduce in length by putting in a new HEM (=folding and sewing the bottom of the garment); to HEM 5 [(on)] to accept the offer of: Can I take you up on your offer of a meal? 6 to continue: I'll take up the story where I finished yesterday. → see also TAKE, TAKEUP
take up with sbdy. phr v [T] 1 to become friendly with (especially someone undesirable): She's taken up with a rather wild crowd. 2 taken up with very busy with: He can't help; he's too taken up with his own problems.
take $ ^{2} $ n 1 the filming of a scene for a cinema film: We had to do six takes before the director was satisfied. 2 [C usually sing.] infml the amount of money taken, especially by a business: Our take was up (=we received more money) this week. → see also DOUBLE TAKE 3 [(on)] AmE a way of experiencing or understanding something: What's your take on this situation? | He has a different take on reality than most people.
take·a·way /'teɪkəweɪ/ BrE ‖ carryout, takeout AmE — n (a meal bought from) a shop from which cooked meals can be taken away to be eaten somewhere else: Let's get a takeaway - I can't be bothered to cook. \ There's a Chinese takeaway in the town centre. → compare to go (GO)
'take-home ,pay n [U] wages left after all taxes, PENSION
1. payments etc, have been paid
take·off /'teɪk-ofl-ɔf/ n 1 [C;U] the beginning of a flight, when a plane, spacecraft etc, rises from the ground: We had a smooth takeoff. 2 [C] the act of leaving the ground in making a jump: A long-jumper needs to get his takeoff exactly right. 3 [C;of] inml an amusing copy of someone's typical behaviour: She does a marvellous takeoff of the Queen. → see also TAKE OFF
take-out /'teɪkaʊt/ n AmE for TAKEAWAY
take·o·ver /ˈteɪkəʊvər/ n an act of gaining control, especially of a business company by buying most of the shares → see also TAKE OVER
takeover, bid n a BID to gain control of a company by buying most of the SHARES
ta·ker /ˈteɪkər/ n [usually pl.] infri someone who is willing to accept an offer: I advertised my car for sale at £250, but there were no takers.
take·up /'teikʌp/ n the rate at which people buy or accept something offered by a company, government etc: Despite the advertising campaign, there hasn't been a very big takeup of shares so far. → see also TAKE UP
tak-ing /'teɪkɪŋ/ adj old-fashion attractive; FETCHING
tak·ings /'teɪkɪŋz/ n [P] money received, especially by a shop: After we've closed, we count the day's takings.
talc /tælk/ n [U] 1 a soft smooth greenish-grey mineral that feels like soap and is used in making paints, plastics, and various body powders 2 nfm/talcum powder
tal·cum pow·der /'tælkəm /pauder/ n [U] a very fine powder of crushed talc, which is put on the body to dry it or make it smell pleasant
tale /teɪl/ n 1 a story of imaginary events, especially of an exciting kind: tales of adventure → see also TALL STORY 2 a report or description, perhaps not completely true, of an event or situation: We listened to their tales about life in the prisoner-of-war camp. 3 a false or unkind account: Children shouldn't tell tales. (=tell lies about each other) → see also TELLTALE 4 and thereby hangs a tale quote a phrase from several plays by William Shakespeare. People use this phrase when something is mentioned about which there is a lot more to tell. 5 a tale told by an idiot quote a phrase from SHAKESPEARE's play Macbeth, used when saying that something has no meaning 6 old wives' tale a foolish old-fashioned belief, once thought to be true
tale·bear·er /'teɪl,beərər/ n old use a person who intentionally spreads false or unkind pieces of news around
talent /'tælənt/ n 1 [S(for);U] (a) special natural ability or skill: He has a talent for drawing. | She has great musical/artistic talent. → see GENIUS (USAGE) 2 [U+sing./pl. v] people who have (a) talent: There was a lack of local talent, so the drama group hired an actor from London. | a competition to encourage young talent. 3 [U+sing./pl. v BrE] slang sexually attractive people: We stood on the corner eyeing up the talent.
talented /'tæləntəd/ adj having or showing talent: a very talented actor
'talent scout n a scout
Tale of Two 'Cities, A (1859) a novel by Charles DICKENS, set in London and Paris at the time of the FRENCH REVOLUTION. The start of the book is very well known: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...'. Another famous part is the thoughts of one of the main characters, Sydney Carton, when he is about to be killed by the GUILLOTINE instead of another man that he is pretending to be, so that the other man can live: 'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done'.
Tal-i-ban, the also the Taleban /'ta:li,ba:n/ a group which took control of most of Afghanistan in 1997 by defeating other groups fighting in the CIVIL WAR there. The Taliban were known for following the laws of Islam very strictly, especially regarding the social position of women. They also allowed Osama bin Laden and other members of al-Qaeda to stay in Afghanistan, and refused to hand bin Laden over to the US authorities after September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, in the US. US forces then INVADED Afghanistan and the Taliban were defeated in the war.
tal·is·man /'tælizmən/ n pl. -mans an object which is believed to have magic powers of protection
talk¹ /tɔːk/ v 1 [l(to, with, about)] to use or produce words; speak: Human beings can talk; animals can't. | Come here; I want to talk to you. | Union leaders have been talking with the president about the proposed new law. | They were all talking at once. | I don't know what you're talking about! (=I don't understand what you mean) 2 [l] to express thoughts as if by speech: People who cannot speak or hear can talk by using signs. 3 [l] to copy human speech: Have you taught your parrot to talk? 4 [l] infml to give information, usually unwillingly: In spite of the police interrogation, the suspect refused to talk. 5 talk tough to say in a very determined way that you will do something, especially something to control someone else: The Home Secretary talked tough and wheeled out two new measures against the joyriders. 6 talk turkey infml especially AmE to talk seriously and openly, especially about business matters 7 We have ways of making you talk a phrase used as a threat in old films by German soldiers questioning prisoners, now sometimes used humorously 8 [l] to speak about other people's actions and private lives; GOSSIP: Don't park your car outside my house; you know how people talk! 9 [T] to express in words: Don't talk such nonsense! 10 [T] to speak about; DISCUSS: Now the meal's over it's time to talk business. 11 now you're talking infml (used for expressing very eager agreement or acceptance): 'Instead of Blackpool, why don't we go to the South of France for our holidays this year?' 'Now you're talking!' 12 You can talk!/You're a fine one to talk!/Look who's talking! infml (used to suggest, often humorously, that someone should