task
(tăsk)
[Middle English taske, imposed work, tax, from Old North French tasque, from Vulgar Latin* tasca, alteration of * taxa, from Latin taxāre, to feel, reproach, reckon; see tax.]
noun
- A piece of work assigned or done as part of one's duties.
- A difficult or tedious undertaking.
- A function to be performed; an objective.
transitive verb: tasked, task·ing, tasks.
- To assign a task to or impose a task on.
- To overburden with labor; tax.
idioms
- take to task
- To reprimand or censure.
synonyms:
task, job1chore, stint1assignment These nouns denote a piece of work that one must do. A task is a well-defined responsibility that is usually imposed by another and that may be burdensome: I stayed at work late to finish the task at hand. Job often suggests a specific short-term undertaking: “did little jobs about the house with skill” (W.H. Auden) Chore generally denotes a minor, routine, or odd job: The farmer's morning chores included milking the cows. Stint refers to a person's prescribed share of work: Her stint as a lifeguard usually consumes three hours a day. Assignment generally denotes a task allotted by a person in authority: His homework assignment involved writing an essay.
