liftoff

or lift-off

[ lift-awf, -of ]

/ ˈlɪftˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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See synonyms for liftoff on Thesaurus.com

noun

Aeronautics, Rocketry.

the action of an aircraft in becoming airborne or of a rocket in rising from its launching site under its own power.
the instant when such action occurs.

Informal. the launching or commencement of a project, plan, etc.: The liftoff of the sales campaign will be next month.

adjective

able to be shifted or removed by lifting off; capable of being lifted off: I organized the workshop with these liftoff adhesive labels for bins and shelves.We used magnetic liftoff nameplates on the lockers.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of liftoff

First recorded in 1955–60; noun and adjective use of verb phrase lift off

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use liftoff in a sentence

For every nanosecond that I miraculously lift off the ground, I land with an inordinately loud thud.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Specifically, the pilots got themselves into a high altitude stall, where the wings lose the capacity to provide lift.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The hopes of a man that is void of understanding are vain and deceitful: and dreams lift up fools.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Lift up thy hand over the strange nations, that they may see thy power.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Though, as everybody well knew, the doctor had forbidden her to lift so much as a pin!
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
He rose upon it, it was under him, he felt its lift and irresistible momentum; almost it bore him up the steps.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for liftoff

liftoff

/ (ˈlɪftˌɒf) /

noun

the initial movement or ascent of a rocket from its launch pad

the instant at which this occurs

verb lift off

(intr, adverb) (of a rocket) to leave its launch pad

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with liftoff

lift off

Begin flight, as in The spacecraft was due to lift off at ten o'clock. The off in this idiom means “off the ground.” [Late 1800s]

liftoff

or lift-off

Origin of liftoff

Words related to liftoff

How to use liftoff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for liftoff

Other Idioms and Phrases with liftoff