To take or seize beforehand; to take possession in advance.
From 'fore-' (before) plus 'take' (Old English 'tacan'). Follows the pattern of anticipatory 'fore-' verbs meaning to do something prior to normal time.
'Foretake' is beautifully archaic—it captures medieval concepts of preemptive possession, where you could 'foretake' a merchant's goods if you suspected he owed you money, a legal right that eventually became our modern concept of lien.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.