Dictionary

take off en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (alt-of, nonstandard) Nonstandard spelling of takeoff.
   alt of takeoff
   • France never experienced a "take off" of the sort hypothesized by W. W. Rostow — a sudden spurt of output that begins sustained industrial growth. 1986, Ira Katznelson, Aristide R. Zolberg, Working-class Formation, page 45:
   • This is virtually equal to the minimum value shown above to be necessary in the case of a total loss in thrust from one of the four engines at take off. 2003, N. A. Cumpsty, Jet Propulsion:
   • Therefore, the only sure way to estimate the quantity of lumber required for any particular job is to do a take off of each piece of lumber needed for the work. 2003, Calin M. Popescu, Kan Phaobunjong, Nuntapong Ovararin, Estimating Building Costs, page 354:

Forms

take off en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (transitive) To remove.
   • He took off his shoes.
   • By March 1994, it had moved to Cardiff Canton, and was still allocated there when its nameplates were taken off in March 1997. 2024 January 10, Chris Gilson, “RAIL's famous five...”, in Rail, number 1000, page 27:
   • Tomorrow the doctor will take the cast off her arm.
   • The Russian bear has always been eager to stick his paw in Latin American waters. Now we've got him in a trap, let's take his leg off right up to his testicles. On second thought, let's take off his testicles, too. 1995, Richard Rhodes, quoting Curtis LeMay, “Scorpions in a Bottle”, in Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb, New York: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 574:
   • Sounds nice. Has a certain ring to it. Take your shirt off. 1980, Lee Sheldon, “Three for the Money”, in George McCowan, director, Charlie's Angels, season 4, episode 23, via ABC:
   • The test grader takes off a point for every misspelled word.
2. (transitive, usually) To imitate (somebody), often in a satirical manner.
   • Yes, the Peaches, on a nearly non-existent budget, lack professionalism. The basic format of this show — taking off on television, with a soap opera, a quiz show, news, a cooking class and commercials for KY and grass, etc. — resembles kids getting up a skit. 1978 April 22, Robert Chesley, “The Return Of The Peaches”, in Gay Community News, page 12:
   • Pym would take him off perfectly, thought Brotherhood. Pym would catch that accent to a tee. 1986, John Le Carré, A Perfect Spy, Sceptre, published 2011, page 365:
3. (intransitive) To leave the ground and ascend into the air or into flight.
   • The plane has been cleared to take off from runway 3.
   • Mute swans need a long stretch of water in order to take off.
   • That high-jumper takes off from her left foot.
4. To stand up on a surfboard and begin to surf a breaking wave.
   • You take off, make the steep drop, hear the white water rumbling behind you and feel the spray on your back. 1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless Summer:
5. (intransitive) To become successful, to flourish.
   • As well as the boom in off-peak leisure numbers, "there has been a big spike in passenger assistance - that's really taken off as well", he continues. "We're probably victims of our own success because we promote this more than we ever used to. We promote how accessible the railways are. I think that this area has more than doubled from pre-COVID levels. 2023 November 1, Nick Brodrick talks to Jason Cocker, “A station that "oozes" customer service...”, in RAIL, number 995, pages 52-53:
   • 2007 July 12, The Guardian, A welcome invasion. The message is now the medium – that is powerful and means products can take off practically all by themselves.
   • But “My Heart Will Go On” didn’t just take off — it became synonymous with Cameron’s blockbuster movie, and a signature for Dion. 2017 May 18, Mickey Rapkin, “The Oral History of Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’: Controversies, Doubts & ‘Belly Pains’ In the Studio”, in billboard.com:
   • The business has really taken off this year and has made quite a profit.
6. (intransitive) To depart.
   • Take off, loser!
   • I'm going to take off now.
   • Ben threw twenty bucks on the table, grabbed the map and took off after the thief, following Susan who had run off before him. 2020, Armando Lazzari, Dinner with the Mafia:
   • It is so easy when problems arise in a relationship to just take off. 1976 February 14, KES, “Relationships Continued”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 33, page 5:
7. (transitive) To quantify.
   • I'll take off the concrete and steel for this construction project.
8. (ambitransitive) To absent oneself from (work or other responsibility), especially with permission.
   • He decided to let his mother take a night off from cooking, so he took her and his siblings out to dinner.
   • If you take off for Thanksgiving you must work Christmas and vice versa.
9. (dated, intransitive, slang) To take drugs; to inject drugs.
10. (dated, slang, transitive) To steal (something) or rob (someone).
11. (archaic, transitive) To swallow.
    • to take off a glass of wine

Forms

Antonyms

land (antonym(s) of “begin flight”) · land (antonym(s) of “ascend”) · don (antonym(s) of “remove”) · touch down (antonym(s) of “begin flight”) · put on (antonym(s) of “remove”)

Deriveds

take one's hat off to · take off one's gloves · take-off · takeoff

Relateds

to lift off

Synonyms

imitate (imitate) · mimic (imitate) · ape (imitate) · blossom (become successful) · bloom (become successful) · grow (become successful) · impersonate (imitate) · thrive (become successful) · flourish (become successful) · depart (depart) · doff (remove clothing)

Translations (161)

mk тр́гнува (to remove) · ro da jos (to remove) · el βγάζω (to remove) · de abnehmen (to remove) · pl odnosić nagły sukces (to become successful) · fi lähteä lentoon (to become successful) · ca treure (to remove) · de loslösen (to remove) · he הֵסִיר (to remove) · eo ekflugi (to begin flight) · txb rutk- (to remove) · uk злеті́ти (to begin flight) · pl być nieobecnym (to absent oneself from work or other responsibility) · nb fjerne (to remove) · de abhauen (to depart) · is takast á loft (to begin flight) · chr ᏓᎳᏑᎳᎩᎠ (to remove) · pl ściągać (to remove) · de durchstarten (to become successful) · de sich verziehen (to depart) · az çıxarmaq (to remove) · izh hylätä (to remove) · de ausziehen (to remove) · nb ta av (to begin flight) · chr ᎠᎵᎬᏚᎴᎠ (to remove) · fr prendre son vol (to begin flight) · ga bain de (to remove) · de freinehmen (to absent oneself from work or other responsibility) · pl oddalać się (to depart) · fr ôter (to remove) · vi bỏ (to remove) · km ដោះ (to remove) · sv ta fart (to become successful) · is hefja sig á flug (to begin flight) · es llegar a cuajar (to become successful) · cs sundat (to remove) · mt neħħa (to remove) · th ถอด (to remove) · he הִמְרִיא (to begin flight) · be здыма́ць (to remove) · pl odnieść nagły sukces (to become successful) · pl wzlatywać (to begin flight) · pl ściągnąć (to remove) · eu aireratu (to begin flight) · nb lette (to begin flight) · es empezar a rendir (to become successful) · ta கழற்று (to remove) · chr ᎠᏑᎳᎩᎠ (to remove) · nl een vlucht nemen (to become successful) · hy հանել (to remove) · pl oddalić się (to depart) · de weg sein (to depart) · pt folgar (to absent oneself from work or other responsibility) · ja 脱ぐ (to remove) · es decolar (to begin flight) · de starten (to begin flight) · de abheben (to begin flight) · pl wzlecieć (to begin flight) · pl wystartować (to begin flight) · uk зніма́ти (to remove) · ca enlairar-se (to begin flight) · ar خَلَعَ (to remove) · is hefja sig á loft (to begin flight) · ru взлета́ть (to begin flight) · it decollare (to begin flight) · pl startować (to begin flight) · pt descolar (to begin flight) · km ហោះឡើង (to begin flight) · es arrasar (to become successful) · cmn 起飛 /起飞 (to begin flight) · da afgå (to begin flight) · pl zdejmować (to remove) · bo ཕུད (to remove) · hu felszáll (to begin flight) · bg отлитам (to begin flight) · ckb داکەنە (to remove) · gl engalar (to begin flight) · fi lähteä lentoon (to begin flight) · hu levesz (to remove) · fr décoller (to depart) · sv ta av (to remove) · cs svléci (to remove) · uk зня́ти (to remove) · mk си́мнува (to remove) · fi pitää vapaata (to absent oneself from work or other responsibility) · fi häipyä (to depart) · he הוֹרִיד (to remove) · da aftage (to remove) · be зняць (to remove) · hu levet (to remove) · ar اِزْدَهَرَ (to become successful) · ur اتارنا (to remove) · it togliere (to remove) · pt decolar (to begin flight) · haw wehe (to remove) · izh päästää (to remove) · es quitarse (to remove) · hi उतारना (to remove) · da fjerne (to remove) · uk зліта́ти (to begin flight) · bg излитам (to begin flight) · de ablegen (to remove) · sv lyfta (to begin flight) · es despegar (to begin flight) · ko 벗다 (to remove) · fi ottaa pois (to remove) · de in Schwung kommen (to become successful) · be узлята́ць (to begin flight) · ro decola (to begin flight) · zdj utsua (to remove) · mk поле́тува (to begin flight) · ota هوالانمق (to begin flight) · pl zdjąć (to remove) · ko 이륙하다 (to begin flight) · fr s'arracher (to depart) · hy թռչել (to begin flight) · cs vzlétnout (to begin flight) · mk собле́кува (to remove) · is taka af (to remove) · ru убра́ть (to remove) · fr enlever (to remove) · pt deslanchar (to become successful) · be узляце́ць (to begin flight) · cmn 脫 /脱 (to remove) · fi lähteä (to depart) · cmn 騰飛 /腾飞 (to become successful) · ru убира́ть (to remove) · pt levantar voo (to begin flight) · de abziehen (to remove) · de fortgehen (to depart) · nl afzetten (to remove) · is fara úr (to remove) · ia elevar se (to begin flight) · is fjarlægja (to remove) · th ออกตัว (to begin flight) · is takast á flug (to begin flight) · ru снима́ть (to remove) · mi hārewa (to begin flight) · ja 飛び立つ (to begin flight) · pt tirar (to remove) · mk сле́кува (to remove) · mi makere (to remove) · la exuō (to remove) · ar أَقْلَعَ (to begin flight) · fi nousta (to begin flight) · tr havalanmak (to begin flight) · fr prendre son essor (to begin flight) · vi cất cánh (to begin flight) · ru снять (to remove) · el απογειώνομαι (to begin flight) · fr décoller (to begin flight) · hy պոկվել (to begin flight) · nl uittrekken (to remove) · no ta av (to remove) · de den Abflug machen (to depart) · es tener éxito (to become successful) · ru взлете́ть (to begin flight) · mi marere (to remove) · ru подниматься (to become successful) · ru подняться (to become successful) · ang dōn of (to remove)