un·der·took

(ŭn′dər-to͝ok′)

Past tense of undertake.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

undertook

(ˌʌndəˈtʊk)

the past tense of undertake

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

un•der•take

(ˌʌn dərˈteɪk)

v. -took, -tak•en, -tak•ing. v.t.

1. to take upon oneself, as a task or performance; attempt: He undertook the job of answering the mail.

2. to obligate oneself (fol. by an infinitive).

3. to warrant or guarantee (fol. by a clause): to undertake that a loan is fully secured.

4. to take in charge.

v.i.

5. Archaic. to engage oneself by promise or guarantee.

[1150–1200]

Translations

intrapresi

undertake

(andəˈteik) verb – past tense ˌunderˈtook (-ˈtuk) past participle ˌunderˈtaken –

1. to accept (a duty, task, responsibility etc). He undertook the job willingly.

2. to promise (eg to do something). He has undertaken to appear at the police court tomorrow.

ˈundertaker (-teikə) noun

a person who organizes funerals.

ˌunderˈtaking noun

1. a task or piece of work. I didn't realize what a large undertaking this job would be.

2. a promise. He made an undertaking that he would pay the money back.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

But the Judge said he never had summed up before; So the Snark undertook it instead, And summed it so well that it came to far more Than the Witnesses ever had said!

View in context

Each undertook his proper duty in accordance with his own nature and powers.

View in context

They also undertook to examine the true nature of that system of parallel ramparts discovered on the moon's surface by Gruithuysen, a learned professor of Munich, who considered them to be "a system of fortifications thrown up by the Selenitic engineers." These two points, yet obscure, as well as others, no doubt, could not be definitely settled except by direct communication with the moon.

Such was the state of knowledge acquired regarding the earth's satellite, which the Gun Club undertook to perfect in all its aspects, cosmographic, geological, political, and moral.

View in context

On May 9, 170 troops from three services undertook para drop ops in a Combat Free Fall and Static Line mode.

Indian armed forces carry out 'Exercise BullStrike'

We undertook reforms in economic policies aimed at making the economy more competitive and more liberal.

The hard reforms