take on water

== English == === Alternative forms === take in water === Pronunciation === === Verb === take on water (third-person singular simple present takes on water, present participle taking on water, simple past took on water, past participle taken on water) (of a ship, boat, or other watercraft) To slowly fill with water, as due to a leak or being washed by high waves; to begin to sink. (idiomatic, by extension) To be in an increasingly difficult or risky situation; to falter or begin to fail. ==== Translations ====