transitive verb
Definition 1
Assume (burden, especially debt).
Source: Invertext, from Concise Oxford Dictionary
Context: In a dividend recap, companies take on additional debt to pay dividends to their owners.
Source: Financial Times 02/12/2009
Definition 2
Assume, accept (post, responsibility, etc.).
Source: Invertext, from Concise Oxford Dictionary
Context: A capital raising of about £300m could be a turning point for the former Tesco executive, who took on the job of restructuring the struggling owner of Curry's and PC World at the end of 2007.
Source: Financial Times 30/04/2009
Definition 3
Assume, acquire, adopt (pose, stance, quality, etc.)
Source: Invertext
Context: By night, [the city of Bruges] takes on a captivating stillness.
Source: Financial Times 24/10/2009 (Claire Wrathall)