liftoff

American  

[lift-awf, -of] / ˈlɪftˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or lift-off

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.

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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 British  

/ ˈlɪftˌɒf /

noun

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

2. the instant at which this occurs

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verb

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

Etymology

Origin of liftoff

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

Example Sentences

This time the FAA gave pilots a heads-up an hour and 40 minutes before liftoff.

From Salon

The risk that January evening was from an experimental SpaceX rocket ship that exploded minutes after liftoff.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.

From Barron's

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.

From Los Angeles Times

Then it would be a matter of seconds before liftoff.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• launch