to take stock
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To ascertain how one's business stands by taking an inventory of all goods and so on in hand, balancing one's books, etc.; hence, to survey one's position and prospects.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to take stock” mean?
To ascertain how one's business stands by taking an inventory of all goods and so on in hand, balancing one's books, etc.; hence, to survey one's position and prospects.
Is “to take stock” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.