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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

touch off en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, transitive) To start (something); to set off traps; especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed.
    • Be cautious talking about religion or politics, lest you touch off an argument.
  2. (idiomatic, transitive) To cause a fire to start.
    • A spark touched off the conflagration.
  3. To establish a reference coordinate or datum, by moving the tool head to just touch the workpiece or machine bed.
    • A traditional method of touching off uses a piece of thin paper placed between the tool and workpiece.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
touching off Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
touches off Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
touched off Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
touched off Tense=Past lexicographic

Translations (11)

pl spowodować (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · es desencadenar (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · pl wywoływać (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · fr déclencher (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · pl zaczynać (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · gl desencadear (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · de auslösen (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · pt desencadear (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · pl wywołać (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · pl zacząć (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed) · pl powodować (to cause, especially used for unstable situations that may magnify if disturbed)