intake

/ˈɪnteɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪnteɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈin-ˌtāk/ (ame, mw)

intake — noun

  • intakesingular
  • intakesplural

1. The action of breathing in, by which air enters your lungs through the mouth or

1.名詞B1
釋義

The action of breathing in, by which air enters your lungs through the mouth or nose.

例句

Caleb took a slow, deep intake of breath before stepping onto the stage.

collocation: deep intake of breath

The doctor asked for a quick intake of breath while she listened to my chest.

collocation: intake of breath + medical context

同義詞
  • inhalation

    more technical/medical; 'inhalation' focuses on the physical process, while 'intake' is less formal

  • breath

    simpler and more general; 'take a breath' is the everyday alternative to 'take an intake of breath'

反義詞

文法句型

intake of breath — used for the act of breathing in

用法筆記

This sense almost always appears in the phrase 'intake of breath' or as part of the compound 'breath intake.' It is rarely used without a modifier or a following 'of'-phrase.

常見錯誤

❌He took an intake.
✅He took a deep intake of breath.
💡'intake' in this sense needs a modifier or a following 'of'-phrase to be natural in English.

2. The quantity of food, drink, or other substance that someone consumes over a giv

2.名詞B1
釋義

The quantity of food, drink, or other substance that someone consumes over a given period.

例句

Renata tracks her daily intake of sugar by reading food labels carefully.

daily intake of [substance] — quantifying consumption

The nurse advised Mark to reduce his salt intake to lower his blood pressure.

reduce one's [substance] intake

同義詞
  • consumption

    broader — can refer to energy, resources, or goods, not just food/drink; 'consumption' is slightly more formal

  • uptake

    more technical, refers to absorption by the body's cells or tissues, not the act of eating/drinking

  • dosage

    only applies to measured amounts of medicine, not general food or drink

文法句型

[adjective] intake of [substance] — specifying what and how much is consumed

[verb] one's [adjective] intake — reducing or increasing consumption

用法筆記

Frequently used with a preceding modifier (daily, recommended, total) and a following 'of'-phrase specifying the substance. Common verbs: reduce, increase, track, limit, cut down on.

常見錯誤

❌My intake of water is two litres each day.
✅My daily water intake is two litres.
💡The compound form '[modifier] + [substance] + intake' sounds more natural than the possessive structure.

3. How many people a school, university, or other organization admits during a sing

3.名詞B2
釋義

How many people a school, university, or other organization admits during a single enrolment period.

例句

The university plans to increase its student intake by two hundred next year.

increase student intake — admissions planning

This college's annual intake of engineering students has doubled since 2021.

annual intake of [group] — specifying field and timeframe

同義詞
  • admissions

    refers to the process or the number itself; 'intake' emphasizes the cohort of people admitted in a given period

  • cohort

    more academic; focuses on the group as a unit for study or tracking, not the number

  • enrollment

    more common in American English; focuses on the total number registered

文法句型

[annual/September] intake — with a time modifier

intake of [students/staff/recruits] — specifying who is admitted

用法筆記

Commonly modified by a time reference (annual, September, new) or a field (student, nursing, engineering). In British English, 'intake' is especially common for university admissions cycles. Not typically used for individual admissions — it always refers to a group or a number.

常見錯誤

❌I got an intake from the university.
✅I was offered a place in the university's September intake.
💡'intake' refers to the group or the process, not the individual acceptance letter.

4. A component of a machine or engine designed to pull in air, fuel, or another flu

4.名詞B2
釋義

A component of a machine or engine designed to pull in air, fuel, or another fluid.

例句

A piece of plastic got stuck in the engine's air intake, causing it to overheat.

air intake — part of an engine

The mechanic checked the intake valve for any cracks or leaks.

intake valve — compound noun for a machine part

同義詞
  • inlet

    more general; 'inlet' can refer to any entry point for fluid, while 'intake' is typical of engines and pumps

  • port

    technical term for an opening in a machine; narrower in application

反義詞
  • exhaust

    the outlet through which gases leave an engine

文法句型

[air/water/fuel] intake — specifying the type of fluid or gas

intake [valve/pipe/filter/manifold] — part of a machine or system

用法筆記

Common in technical or mechanical contexts. Often appears as part of a compound noun: air intake, intake valve, intake pipe, intake manifold. Distinguish from sense 1 (breathing), which refers to the act rather than the physical opening.

常見錯誤

❌The car's intake was broken.' (too vague)
✅The car's air intake was blocked by debris.
💡Without a modifier, readers may not know which sense is intended.