What does "taking" mean?
Taking: Infectious; contageous. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl. -- Tak"ing*ly, adv. -- Tak"ing*ness, n.
Additional senses
- 2.The act of gaining possession; a seizing; seizure; apprehension.
- 3.Agitation; excitement; distress of mind. [Colloq.] What a taking was he in, when your husband asked who was in the basket! Shak.
- 4.Malign influence; infection. [Obs.] Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00