The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Task \Task\ (t[.a]sk), n. [OE. taske, OF. tasque, F. t[^a]che,
   for tasche, LL. tasca, taxa, fr. L. taxare to rate, appraise,
   estimate. See Tax, n. & v.]
   1. Labor or study imposed by another, often in a definite
      quantity or amount.
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            Ma task of servile toil.              --Milton.
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            Each morning sees some task begin,
            Each evening sees it close.           --Longfellow.
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   2. Business; employment; undertaking; labor.
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            His mental powers were equal to greater tasks.
                                                  --Atterbury.
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   To take to task. See under Take.
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   Syn: Work; labor; employment; business; toil; drudgery;
        study; lesson; stint.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Task \Task\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tasked; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Tasking.]
   1. To impose a task upon; to assign a definite amount of
      business, labor, or duty to.
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            There task thy maids, and exercise the loom.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   2. To oppress with severe or excessive burdens; to tax.
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   3. To charge; to tax, as with a fault.
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            Too impudent to task me with those errors. --Beau. &
                                                  Fl.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

task
    n 1: any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted; "he
         prepared for great undertakings" [syn: undertaking,
         project, task, labor]
    2: a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for
       a specific fee; "estimates of the city's loss on that job
       ranged as high as a million dollars"; "the job of repairing
       the engine took several hours"; "the endless task of
       classifying the samples"; "the farmer's morning chores" [syn:
       job, task, chore]
    v 1: assign a task to; "I tasked him with looking after the
         children"
    2: use to the limit; "you are taxing my patience" [syn: tax,
       task]