partake
- 01 C1 Advanced
to join in an activity or event with other people.
to join in or participate in an activity. Intransitive; usually takes the preposition 'in'.
Simple“Visitors are invited to partake in the traditional dances during the festival.”
In context“Although he was a reserved man, he felt compelled to partake in the local festivities to show his support for the community.”
UsageUsually followed by the preposition 'in'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
to eat or drink something, especially when it is offered to you.
to consume a portion of food or drink. Intransitive; usually takes the preposition 'of'.
Simple“Would you like to partake of some refreshments before the meeting starts?”
In context“The guests were encouraged to partake of the buffet, which featured a wide array of regional delicacies.”
UsageUsually followed by the preposition 'of'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
to have some of the qualities or characteristics of something else.
to possess a certain quality, nature, or character in common with something else.
Simple“His style of writing seems to partake of both poetry and journalism.”
In context“The architecture of the new cathedral appeared to partake of both Gothic and modern minimalist influences.”
UsageFollowed by the preposition 'of'.
“The Nolan family made the trek from the Finger Lakes area of New York to partake in the fun of the superstar team playing in Toronto for the first time.”
“More specifically, the visa is offered to those wishing to partake in "volunteer services in the framework of programmes pursuing public interest goals".”
Back-formation from Middle English part-takinge, part-takynge (“a sharing; partaking”), a calque of Latin particeps (“participating”); equivalent to part + take. Compare take part. In the sense of taking a share or portion of something, displaced native Old English onbītan (“to taste of, to partake of”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.