Task

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Task, n. [OE. taske, OF. tasque, F. tâche, for tasche, LL. tasca, taxa, fr. L. taxare to rate, appraise, estimate. See Tax, n. & v.].

•  Labor or study imposed by another, often in a definite quantity or amount.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ma task of servile toil."  [1913 Webster]

  "Each morning sees some task begin,
  Each evening sees it close."  [1913 Webster]
•  Business; employment; undertaking; labor.  [1913 Webster]

  "His mental powers were equal to greater tasks."  [1913 Webster]

To take to task. See under Take.

Syn. -- Work; labor; employment; business; toil; drudgery; study; lesson; stint.

Task, v. t. 

•  To impose a task upon; to assign a definite amount of business, labor, or duty to.  [1913 Webster]

  "There task thy maids, and exercise the loom."  [1913 Webster]
•  To oppress with severe or excessive burdens; to tax.  [1913 Webster]
•  To charge; to tax, as with a fault.  [1913 Webster]

  "Too impudent to task me with those errors."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Task, n. & v.
--n. a piece of work to be done or undertaken.
--v.tr.
1 make great demands on (a person's powers etc.).
2 assign a task to.

Idiom

take to task rebuke, scold. task force (or group)
1 Mil. an armed force organized for a special operation.
2 a unit specially organized for a task.

Etymology

ME f. ONF tasque = OF tasche f. med.L tasca, perh. f. taxa f. L taxare TAX

THESAURUS

Task

accuse, affair, agency, agentship, allege, arraign, article, assignment, attempt, authority, authorization, blame, book, bother, brevet, bring accusation, bring charges, bring to book, burden, burden with, business, busy, busywork, call to account, calling, care, cargo, censure, chalk talk, chare, charge, chide, chore, cite, commission, commissioning, commitment, complain, consignment, contract, criticize, cure, deadweight, deal, delegated authority, delegation, demand, denounce, denunciate, deputation, devoir, devolution, devolvement, dirty work, discourse, disquisition, donkeywork, drive, drudgery, duty, effort, embassy, employment, empowerment, encumber, engagement, enjoin, enterprise, entrusting, entrustment, errand, exact, executorship, exequatur, exercise, exposition, factorship, fag, fasten on, fasten upon, fatigue, finger, fish to fry, freight, freight with, full power, function, grind, handiwork, handwork, hang something on, harangue, headache, homework, homily, impeach, imply, impose, impose on, impose upon, impute, indict, industry, inflict on, inflict upon, inform against, inform on, insinuate, instruction, job, job of work, jurisdiction, keep busy, labor, lade, lay, lay charges, lay on, lecture, lecture-demonstration, legation, lesson, levy, license, lick, lick of work, lieutenancy, load, lodge a complaint, lodge a plaint, lumber, make-work, mandate, manual labor, matters in hand, millstone, mission, moil, moral, moral lesson, morality, moralization, nuisance, object lesson, obligation, occupation, odd job, office, onus, operation, oppress, overdrive, overtask, overtax, overwork, pain, piece of work, pin on, place, plan, plenipotentiary power, power of attorney, power to act, preachment, prefer charges, press charges, procuration, program, project, proposition, province, proxy, purview, put, put down, put on, put on report, put upon, rat race, rebuke, recital, recitation, recriminate, regency, regentship, report, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, responsibility, saddle, saddle with, scold, scut work, sermon, service, set, set task, skull session, slavery, spadework, stint, strain, stroke, stroke of work, struggle, subject to, sweat, take to task, talk, taunt with, tax, teaching, things to do, tiresome work, toil, travail, treadmill, trouble, trust, trusteeship, twit, undertaking, upbraid, venture, vicarious authority, vocation, warrant, weigh, weight, weight down with, work, yoke with

ROGET THESAURUS

Task

Business

N business, occupation, employment, pursuit, what one is doing, what one is about, affair, concern, matter, case, matter in hand, irons in the fire, thing to do, agendum, task, work, job, chore, errand, commission, mission, charge, care, duty, part, role, cue, province, function, lookout, department, capacity, sphere, orb, field, line, walk, walk of life, beat, round, routine, race, career, office, place, post, chargeship, incumbency, living, situation, berth, employ, service, engagement, undertaking, vocation, calling, profession, cloth, faculty, industry, art, industrial arts, craft, mystery, handicraft, trade, exercise, work, avocation, press of business, businesslike, workaday, professional, official, functional, busy, on hand, in hand, in one's hands, afoot, on foot, on the anvil, going on, acting, in the course of business, all in one's day's work, professionally Adj, a business with an income at its heels, amoto quaeramus seria ludo, par negotiis neque supra.

Use

VB use, make use of, employ, put to use, put in action, put in operation, put in practice, set in motion, set to work, ply, work, wield, handle, manipulate, play, play off, exert, exercise, practice, avail oneself of, profit by, resort to, have recourse to, recur to, take betake oneself to, take up with, take advantage of, lay one's hands on, try, render useful, mold, turn to account, turn to use, convert to use, utilize, work up, call into play, bring into play, put into requisition, call forth, draw forth, press into service, enlist into the service, bring to bear upon, devote, dedicate, consecrate, apply, adhibit, dispose of, make a handle of, make a cat's-paw of, fall back upon, make a shift with, make the most of, make the best of, use up, swallow up, consume, absorb, expend, tax, task, wear, put to task.

Fatigue

VB be fatigued, yawn, droop, sink, flag, lose breath, lose wind, gasp, pant, puff, blow, drop, swoon, faint, succumb, fatigue, tire, weary, irk, flag, jade, harass, exhaust, knock up, wear out, prostrate, tax, task, strain, overtask, overwork, overburden, overtax, overstrain.

Command

VB command, order, decree, enact, ordain, dictate, direct, give orders, prescribe, set, appoint, mark out, set a task, prescribe a task, impose a task, set to work, put in requisition, bid, enjoin, charge, call upon, instruct, require at the hands of, exact, impose, tax, task, demand, insist on, claim, lay claim to, revendicate, reclaim, cite, summon, call for, send for, subpoena, beckon, issue a command, make a requisition, issue a requisition, promulgate a requisition, make a decree, issue a decree, promulgate a decree, make an order, issue an order, promulgate an order, give the word of command, give the word, give the signal, call to order, give the law, lay down the law, assume the command, remand, be ordered, receive an order.

Teaching

N teaching, instruction, edification, education, tuition, tutorage, tutelage, direction, guidance, opsimathy, qualification, preparation, training, schooling, discipline, excitation, drill, practice, book exercise, persuasion, proselytism, propagandism, propaganda, indoctrination, inculcation, inoculation, advise, explanation, lesson, lecture, sermon, apologue, parable, discourse, prolection, preachment, chalk talk, Chautauqua, exercise, task, curriculum, course, course of study, grammar, three R's, initiation, A, B, C, elementary education, primary education, secondary education, technical education, college education, collegiate education, military education, university education, liberal education, classical education, religious education, denominational education, moral education, secular education, propaedeutics, moral tuition, gymnastics, calisthenics, physical drill, physical education, sloyd, phonics, rote, rote memorization, brute memory, cooperative learning, Montessori method, ungraded classes, test, examination, exam, final exam, mid-term exam grade, score, marks, A, B, C, D, E, F, gentleman's C, pass, fail, incomplete, homework, take-home lesson, exercise for the student, theme, project, teaching, taught, educational, scholastic, academic, doctrinal, disciplinal, instructive, instructional, didactic, propaedeutic, propaedeutical, the schoolmaster abroad, a bovi majori disscit arare minor, adeo in teneris consuecere multum est, docendo discimus, quaenocent docent, qui docet discit, sermons in stones and good in everything.