take off

present singular third person takes off · participle present taking off · past took off · participle past taken off

1. transitiveTo remove.

   He took off his shoes.

   5 more examples

   The test grader takes off a point for every misspelled word.

   Tomorrow the doctor will take the cast off her arm.

   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 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

   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

   Synonyms: doff

2. intransitiveTo leave the ground and ascend into the air or into flight.

   That high-jumper takes off from her left foot.

   2 more examples

   The plane has been cleared to take off from runway 3.

   Mute swans need a long stretch of water in order to take off.

3. hobbiesTo 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

4. intransitiveTo become successful, to flourish.

   The business has really taken off this year and has made quite a profit.

   3 more examples

   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

   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

   Synonyms: bloom, blossom, flourish, grow, thrive

5. intransitiveTo depart.

   Take off, loser!

   3 more examples

   I'm going to take off now.

   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

   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

   Synonyms: depart

6. transitiveusuallyTo imitate (somebody), often in a satirical manner.

   Much of his act involves taking off the Prime Minister and other politicians.

   2 more examples

   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

   Synonyms: ape, imitate, impersonate, mimic

7. transitiveTo take (a specified time period) as a vacation or break from work or other activity.

   I'd like to take next Friday off to attend a wedding.

   1 more example

   He decided to let his mother take a night off from cooking, so he took her and his siblings out to dinner.

8. USintransitiveTo absent oneself from work or other responsibility, especially with permission.

   If you take off for Thanksgiving you must work Christmas and vice versa.

9. transitiveTo quantify.

   I'll take off the concrete and steel for this construction project.

10. datedintransitiveslangTo take drugs; to inject drugs.
11. datedslangtransitiveTo steal (something) or rob (someone).
12. archaictransitiveTo swallow.

    to take off a glass of wine

plural take offs

1. nonstandardNonstandard spelling 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

   2 more examples

   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

   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