jump-off

[ juhmp-awf, -of ]
See synonyms for jump-off on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a place for jumping off.

  2. a point of departure, as of a race or a military attack.

  1. the start of such a departure.

  2. a supplementary contest among horses tied for first place in a jumping contest.

Origin of jump-off

1
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; noun use of verb phrase

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use jump-off in a sentence

  • “Rotten bunch of rough-necks,” he summed up the men of Black Rim and of Jumpoff.

    Rim o' the World | B. M. Bower
  • Mary Hope was riding home from school; Belle was driving out from Jumpoff.

    Rim o' the World | B. M. Bower
  • He lifted the reins, pricked his horse gently with the spurs and galloped away to Jumpoff, singing no more.

    Rim o' the World | B. M. Bower
  • Jim Boyle was smoking a cheap cigar brought out from Jumpoff by the section boss.

    Rim o' the World | B. M. Bower
  • It––it just happened that the Jumpoff crowd brought whisky out from town.

    Rim o' the World | B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for jump-off

jump-off

noun
  1. an extra round in a showjumping contest when two or more horses are equal first, the fastest round deciding the winner

verbjump off
  1. (intr, adverb) to begin or engage in a jump-off

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012