Intake is the act of taking something in. When you breathe, the intake of air fills your lungs with oxygen. When you drink water after playing outside, that's water intake. Your body needs a steady intake of food and liquids to keep you healthy and energized.

The word often appears in official or medical settings. A doctor might ask about your daily water intake to make sure you're drinking enough. Schools track student intake (how many new students enroll each year). An intake form at a dentist's office collects information about new patients.

Intake can also describe the opening where something enters. A car engine has an air intake that pulls in air for combustion. A heating system has intake vents that draw in air from the room.

When someone has their intake appointment at a hospital or clinic, it's their first visit, where staff gather information and decide what help they need. The word suggests a beginning point: the moment when something or someone enters a system and the process officially starts.