liftoff

or lift-off

[ lift-awf, -of ]

/ ˈlɪftˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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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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Origin of liftoff

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

Words nearby liftoff

lifter, “Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing”, liftgate, lifting body, lifting sail, liftoff, lift pump, lift-slab, lift the curtain, lift truck, lig

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

How to use liftoff in a sentence

He personally designed part of the training program, which in part called for flying each crew member in his Soviet MiG-29, exposing them to the kinds of g-forces they’ll experience during liftoff and re-entry.
Four Civilian Astronauts. Three Days in Orbit. One Giant Leap. Meet the Inspiration4 Crew|Jeffrey Kluger|August 10, 2021|Time
Chips got faster, cheaper and more efficient, eventually achieving a kind of social liftoff—powering computers that fit in a pocket.
From Cars to Toasters, America's Semiconductor Shortage Is Wreaking Havoc on Our Lives. Can We Fix It?|Andrew Blum|June 28, 2021|Time
Aftermath of the liftoff of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission taking four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA.
NASA gets what it wanted: Independent, reliable access to space|Eric Berger|April 23, 2021|Ars Technica
The liftoff should be thunderous—rattling windows and shaking loose plaster in nearby buildings as the Saturn V once did—and the lunar journeys should be wondrous.
Watch TIME's Exclusive Footage of NASA's Most Powerful Rocket Ever Under Construction|Jeffrey Kluger|April 22, 2021|Time

Such an early-afternoon liftoff would give the craft’s solar panel enough time to charge up its batteries for the flight.
Ingenuity helicopter makes history by flying on Mars|Lisa Grossman|April 20, 2021|Science News For Students
She watched the liftoff from a boat floating down the Banana River near the launch site in Florida.
Moon Men: The Private Lives of Neil Armstrong and Pals in “Togethersville”|Lily Koppel|September 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Every joke was tweaked and reworked multiple times to achieve maximum comic liftoff.
Could Judd Apatow and Kristen Wiig’s ‘Bridesmaids’ Nab an Oscar?|Chris Lee|December 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
They tell Sandra McElwaine about their orbital road trip ahead of Scott's liftoff this week.
Twins in Space!|Sandra McElwaine|October 3, 2010|DAILY BEAST

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 nearby liftoff

Words related to liftoff

How to use liftoff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for liftoff

Other Idioms and Phrases with liftoff