shutoff

or shut-off

[ shuht-awf, -of ]

/ ˈʃʌtˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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See synonyms for shutoff on Thesaurus.com

noun

an object or device that shuts (something) off: the automatic shutoff on a heater.

an act or instance of shutting off something, as an opening, a flow, or a service: a shutoff of electric power due to unpaid bills.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of shutoff

First recorded in 1865–70; noun use of verb phrase shut off

Words nearby shutoff

shut, shutdown, Shute, shuteye, shut-in, shutoff, shut one's eyes to, shutout, shut-out bid, shutter, shutterbug

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

How to use shutoff in a sentence

Timed heat settings and automatic shutoff can also aid efficiency, especially if you tend to forget to shut off appliances.
Best space heater: Stay warm in every space, from the garage to the basement|Carsen Joenk|February 18, 2021|Popular-Science
This one doesn’t have an automatic shutoff feature, which is good if you are on a long car ride, but could be an issue for your car’s battery life if you forget to unplug it.
Best heated throw blanket: Bundle up with these electric blankets|PopSci Commerce Team|February 11, 2021|Popular-Science
Basically anyone living east Interstate 125 and Interstate 15 outside Poway are at risk of a shutoff, according to a map posted on the SDG&E website.
Morning Report: Why COVID Is Coursing Through Local Jails|Voice of San Diego|December 2, 2020|Voice of San Diego
It wasn’t until February 2020 that PHMSA finally proposed a new rule requiring automatic shutoff valves.
Gas explosions keep killing people, and the US government won’t step in|By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media News|September 29, 2020|Popular-Science

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated these failures and made a series of recommendations, like pressure tests for older gas pipelines and automatic shutoff valves on pipelines running through populated areas.
Gas explosions keep killing people, and the US government won’t step in|By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media News|September 29, 2020|Popular-Science
Through June 30, service was severed to 15,200 customers, and about 92,000 remain in shutoff status.
Detroit Shuts Off Water to Residents but Not to Businesses Who Owe Millions|Mary M. Chapman|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The $9.5 million owed by non-residents would amount to $625 for each severed customer and $103 for those in shutoff status.
Detroit Shuts Off Water to Residents but Not to Businesses Who Owe Millions|Mary M. Chapman|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the beginning of July, the department issued 10-day shutoff notices to 250 commercial customers.
Detroit Shuts Off Water to Residents but Not to Businesses Who Owe Millions|Mary M. Chapman|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If the power shutoff is something the Queen's repair scanners can handle, the instruments will come back on any minute.
The Winds of Time|James H. Schmitz
The small fitting under the gasoline tank has a thumbscrew shutoff and a glass-sight feed tube, leading to the carburetor.
Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for shutoff

shut-off

noun

a device that shuts something off, esp a machine control

a stoppage or cessation

verb shut off (tr, adverb)

to stem the flow of

to block off the passage through

to isolate or separate

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 shutoff

shut off

Stop the flow or passage of, as in They shut off the water while repairs were being made. [Early 1800s]

Close off, isolate, as in Loners shut themselves off from the community. [First half of 1800s]