ENGLISH
REFERENCE

takeoff

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate US //ˈteɪˌkɔf// UK //tˈeɪkɒf// take·off Archaic

n. the moment when an airplane or spacecraft leaves the ground and starts to fly.

n. the act or process of an aircraft or spacecraft becoming airborne. Often used to describe the initial phase of flight or a sudden increase in success.


SIMPLE

Please fasten your seatbelt before takeoff.

CONTEXTUAL

The pilot waited for clearance from the control tower before beginning the takeoff roll down the runway.

COMPLEX

While the initial marketing campaign was slow, the product saw a rapid takeoff in sales once it was featured on a popular morning television show.

Synonyms
Origin

Deverbal from take off.

Usage

Usually written as one word 'takeoff' or hyphenated as 'take-off'; the phrasal verb form is always two words 'take off'.

Pitfall

The plane will takeoff at noon.The plane will take off at noon.Use the one-word 'takeoff' for the noun, but use the two-word phrasal verb 'take off' for the action.

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