Undertake — Un der*take , v. t. [imp. {Undertook}; p. p. {Undertaken}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Undertaking}.] [Under + take.] 1. To take upon one s self; to engage in; to enter upon; to take in hand; to begin to perform; to set about; to attempt. [1913 Webster] To… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
undertake — un‧der‧take [ˌʌndəˈteɪk ǁ ər ] verb undertook PASTTENSE [ ˈtʊk] undertaken PASTPART [ ˈteɪkən] [transitive] 1. to accept that you are responsible for a piece of work and start to do it: • His first task was to undertake a major reorganization of… … Financial and business terms
Undertake — Un der*take , v. i. 1. To take upon one s self, or assume, any business, duty, or province. [1913 Webster] O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me. Isa. xxxviii. 14. [1913 Webster] 2. To venture; to hazard. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] It is the cowish … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
undertake — (v.) c.1200, to entrap, in the same sense as O.E. underniman (Cf. Du. ondernemen, Ger. unternehmen), of which it is a partial loan translation, from UNDER (Cf. under) + TAKE (Cf. take). Cf. also Fr. entreprendre to undertake, from entre between,… … Etymology dictionary
undertake — I verb accept, address oneself to, agree, answer for, apply oneself to, assume, attempt, be answerable for, begin, carry on, carry out, commence, commit, commit oneself to, contract, covenant, devote oneself to, embark upon, endeavor, engage in,… … Law dictionary
undertake — [v] attempt, engage in address oneself, agree, answer for, bargain, begin, commence, commit, commit oneself, contract, covenant, devote, embark, endeavor, enter upon, fall into, go about, go for, go in for, go into, guarantee, have a hand in*,… … New thesaurus
undertake — ► VERB (past undertook; past part. undertaken) 1) commit oneself to and begin (an enterprise or responsibility); take on. 2) formally guarantee or promise … English terms dictionary
undertake — [un΄dər tāk′] vt. undertook, undertaken, undertaking [ME undertaken: see UNDER & TAKE] 1. to take upon oneself; agree to do; enter into or upon (a task, journey, etc.) 2. to give a promise or pledge that; contract [he undertook to be their guide] … English World dictionary
undertake — 01. The Great Wall of China is the largest construction project ever [undertaken] by man. 02. The Louvre in Paris has [undertaken] to restore some old paintings that were damaged in a fire a couple of hundred years ago. 03. As a soldier in the… … Grammatical examples in English
undertake — un|der|take [ ,ʌndər teık ] (past tense un|der|took [ ,ʌndər tuk ] ; past participle un|der|tak|en [ ,ʌndər teıkn ] ) verb transitive ** 1. ) to agree to be responsible for a job or project and do it: The court will undertake a serious… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
