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wave-off

American  
[weyv-awf, -of] / ˈweɪvˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

  1. (on an aircraft carrier) the last-minute signaling to an aircraft making its final landing approach that it is not to land on that particular pass but is to go around and come in again.

  2. the postponement of a scheduled landing, as of a space shuttle, due to bad weather anticipated at the landing site.


Etymology

Origin of wave-off

Noun use of verb phrase wave off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, he "has not given anyone the wave-off at this point" for 2016, said a Washington-based Republican strategist familiar with Bush's discussions about the presidency.

From Reuters • Mar. 18, 2014

I forgot to give the wave-off, but not to pull.

From Time Magazine Archive

After a wave-off, Columbia soars home to an uncertain future The report from Mission Control in Houston was a pilot's nightmare.

From Time Magazine Archive

But after the White Sands wave-off last week, Houston was confronted with a new sort of crisis: deciding when and where to bring one of its ships down.

From Time Magazine Archive

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