intake

American  

[in-teyk] / ˈɪnˌteɪk /

noun

1. the place or opening at which a fluid is taken into a channel, pipe, etc.

2. an act or instance of taking in.

   an intake of oxygen.

3. something that is taken in.

4. a quantity taken in.

   an intake of 50 gallons a minute.

5. a narrowing; contraction.

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intake British  

/ ˈɪnˌteɪk /

noun

1. a thing or a quantity taken in

   an intake of students

2. the act of taking in

3. the opening through which fluid enters a duct or channel, esp the air inlet of a jet engine

4. a ventilation shaft in a mine

5. a contraction or narrowing

   an intake in a garment

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Etymology

Origin of intake

First recorded in 1515–25; noun use of verb phrase take in

Explanation

The act of consuming food can be called intake. A veterinarian might advise you to limit your dog's intake of pizza crusts, for example. While the process of eating can be called your intake, unless you're a militant dieter who weighs every ounce of food you consume, you're most likely to hear the word intake in a hospital or doctor's office. Caregivers might be concerned about a patient's intake of calories if he's very sick, or a dietitian might recommend an elderly woman increase her intake of calcium.

Example Sentences

“Whether people are tracking food intake, monitoring sleep or asking about peptide therapies, they’re expressing the same underlying shift: from reactive to proactive,” Jeffrey Egler, Noom’s chief medical officer, said in an email last week.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Next-generation plug-in hybrid cars with extended purely electric ranges are experiencing increasing global demand, while new models across all drive types from its VW, Cupra, Skoda, Audi and Porsche brands have pushed order intake higher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Importantly, the animals did not show changes in movement, water intake, anxiety-like behavior, or digestion.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Those in the fasting mimicking group reduced their calorie intake for five consecutive days each month, consuming roughly 700 to 1,100 calories per day.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

I’m standing atop the scaffolding at the abandoned silo at the Beaverton farm, feeding an endless chain of paper links through the intake window.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• absorption