liftoff

American  

[lift-awf, -of] / ˈlɪftˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or lift-off

noun

• liftoffs
  plural

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• liftoffs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of liftoff

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

liftoff liftoffs

This shuttle stack sits in flight configuration, almost exactly as it would look on the cusp of liftoff, besides the yellow torque tubes lining the orbiter’s white shell like external ribs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

A few minutes after liftoff, its two halves will separate and fall away, allowing Roman to continue its journey into space.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

SpaceX had scheduled the test flight to happen last week, but it was scrubbed shortly before liftoff after problems with the booster engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Wagner is confident that geothermal energy has now achieved liftoff, and will only get better and cheaper over time.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Finally, at eleven minutes and forty-two seconds after liftoff, we arrived in orbit, one hundred miles up at a speed of 18,0 miles an hour.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

Security Council resolutions prohibit any satellite liftoffs by North Korea, viewing them as covers for testing its long-range missile technology.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 22, 2023

At the same time, launch frequency is higher than ever, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket having dozens of successful liftoffs so far in 2023.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2023

They also say if North Korea launches multiple missiles from different sites simultaneously, it would be more difficult for the allies to spot liftoffs in advance and shoot them down.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2022

It was a thing of teeth-rattling liftoffs and bone-thumping landings and a dependence on fire—fire!, the fuel of the primitives—to get anywhere at all.

From Time ● Feb. 27, 2015

The engaging Gomez’s liftoffs occur courtesy of ZFX’s flying ­effects.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 9, 2014

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Related Words

• launch

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