means A specific piece of work that needs to be done, usually assigned or set with a clear goal in mind.

from From Old North French 'tasque,' a regional variant of Old French 'tasche' (duty, work imposed), which traces back to Medieval Latin 'tasca' — itself an alteration of 'taxa,' from Latin 'taxare,' to assess or evaluate. So buried in the word is the idea of something measured out and demanded of you, a duty literally 'reckoned up.' Fittingly, 'task' and 'tax' are cousins from the same Latin root — both things imposed, both things you'd rather not.