What does "intake" mean?

1. (consumption of food/drink) the amount of food, drink, or air that you take into your body. 2. (mechanical opening) the place where air, water, or fuel is taken into a machine or pipe. 3. (a group of people) a group of people who start at a school or company at the same time. 4. (language learning) the part of a language lesson that a student actually remembers and understands. 5. (to bring in) to take something in or bring it inside.

How do you use "intake"?

Used in second-language acquisition theory to distinguish between what is heard (input) and what is learned.

intake

n. · v.

US //ˈɪnˌteɪk// UK //ˈɪnteɪk// in·take

1 consumption of food/drink (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

the amount of food, drink, or air that you take into your body.

the quantity of a substance, such as nutrients or fluids, consumed by an organism.

Example

You should reduce your daily salt intake to stay healthy.

Example

The nutritionist recommended a significant increase in water intake to counteract the dehydrating effects of the new medication.
- consumption
- digestion
2 mechanical opening (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Science

the place where air, water, or fuel is taken into a machine or pipe.

an opening or structure through which a fluid is admitted into a system or engine.

Example

The mechanic checked the air intake to see if it was blocked by leaves.

Example

Engineers redesigned the turbine's intake to maximize airflow efficiency during high-altitude flight conditions.
- inlet
- entry
- outlet
- exhaust

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3 a group of people (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate British English

a group of people who start at a school or company at the same time.

a specific cohort of individuals admitted to an organization or educational institution during a particular period.

Example

This year's intake of medical students is the largest in the university's history.

Example

The annual intake of apprentices has doubled since the government introduced the new vocational training subsidies.
4 language learning (n.)
C2 Proficiency Academic Technical Science

the part of a language lesson that a student actually remembers and understands.

the subset of linguistic input that is cognitively processed and internalized by a learner.

Example

Teachers must ensure that classroom input actually becomes intake for the students.

Example

The study investigates the variables that determine how much comprehensible input is successfully converted into intake during communicative tasks.

Usage

Used in second-language acquisition theory to distinguish between what is heard (input) and what is learned.
- internalization
- input
5 to bring in (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to take something in or bring it inside.

to draw in or receive from an external source.

Example

The vents intake fresh air from the roof of the building.

Example

The system is designed to intake raw data from multiple sensors before processing it into a unified report.
- absorb
- receive
- expel

Origin

From English dialectal (Northern England/Scotland), deverbal of take in, equivalent to in- + take. More at in-, take.