take in
take somebody ⇔ in
1 to allow somebody to stay in your home
to take in lodgers
He was homeless, so we took him in
2 (of the police) to take somebody to a police station in order to ask them questions
Police have taken a man in for questioning following the attacks.
3 often passive to make somebody believe something that is not true She took me in completely with her story.
Don't be taken in by his charm—he's ruthless.
e.g.
take something ⇔ in
1 to absorb something into the body, for example by breathing or swallowing
Fish take in oxygen through their gills.
RELATED NOUN intake
2 to make a piece of clothing narrower or tighter
This dress needs to be taken in at the waist.
OPPOSITE let out
The tour takes in six European capitals.
Her lecture took in all the recent developments in the subject.
4 no passive to go to see or visit something such as a film I generally take in a show when I'm in New York.
5 to take notice of something with your eyes
He took in every detail of her appearance.
She took in the scene at a glance.
6 to understand or remember something that you hear or read
Halfway through the chapter I realized I hadn't taken anything in.