takeoff

American  

[teyk-awf, -of] / ˈteɪkˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or take-off

noun

1. a taking or setting off; the leaving of the ground, as in leaping or in beginning a flight in an airplane.

2. a taking off from a starting point, as in beginning a race.

3. the place or point at which a person or thing takes off.

4. a humorous or satirical imitation; burlesque.

5. Machinery. a shaft geared to a main shaft for running auxiliary machinery.

6. a branch connection to a pipe, electric line, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of takeoff

First recorded in 1820–30; noun use of verb phrase take off

Example Sentences

On Tuesday, the maker of electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft, reported External link a 2025 operating loss of $127 million, with no sales.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

At busy airports more than one plane may takeoff or land within a minute.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

And it was primed for further takeoff on the burgeoning Web 2.0 circuit, as Walker entered syndication and social media really began taking off.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

"I was panicking all the way up to takeoff, I would've been stranded there by myself because they obviously separated our group into separate flights - it was a nightmare."

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

And I was sweating and my feet were vibrating like rockets just before takeoff.

From "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key" by Jack Gantos

Related Words

• blastoff
• departure
• liftoff