A task is a specific piece of work that needs to be done, usually within a certain time. When your teacher assigns homework problems, each problem is a task. When your parents ask you to take out the trash, that's a task. Tasks have clear beginnings and endings: you know when you've completed them.

The word often appears when people organize their work. A scientist might break a complex experiment into smaller tasks. A construction crew divides building a house into hundreds of tasks: pouring the foundation, framing the walls, installing the plumbing. By finishing tasks one at a time, people accomplish big goals that would feel overwhelming all at once.

Some tasks are simple and quick, like brushing your teeth. Others are challenging and take longer, like writing a book report or building a model airplane. People sometimes say they're multitasking when they try to do several tasks at once, though focusing on one task at a time usually works better.

When something is difficult, people might say it's a daunting task or a formidable task. When your soccer coach gives the team a task to complete during practice, she's assigning specific work that will help improve your skills. The satisfaction of checking off completed tasks is one of life's simple pleasures.