liftoff

Or lift-off

[lift-awf, -of]

noun

1. Aeronautics, Rocketry.

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

   2. the instant when such action occurs.

2. Informal.,  the launching or commencement of a project, plan, etc..

   The liftoff of the sales campaign will be next month.

adjective

1. 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.

liftoff

/ ˈlɪftˌɒf /

noun

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

2. the instant at which this occurs

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of liftoff¹

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

Example Sentences

Blue Origin, the space company owned by Jeff Bezos, indefinitely postponed the slated Sunday launch of its New Glenn rocket, citing unfavorable cloud cover at its liftoff site in Florida.

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Diaz was making money writing songs — Connie Britton sang one of her tunes on the soapy ABC series “Nashville” — but she struggled to achieve the kind of liftoff she was looking for as an artist.

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Then it would be a matter of seconds before liftoff.

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Gurr created the initial design, a “Buck Rogers”-inspired space age vehicle, as Gurr wanted it to feel sleek and ready for liftoff.

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Losing time sounds like it should slot neatly into a ticking-clock suspense film, but it never achieves liftoff the way “Memento” turned an amnesiac’s daily struggle into catnip.

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Related Words

• launch