touch off

English

Pronunciation

  • Audio (General Australian):(file)

Verb

touch off (third-person singular simple present touches off, present participle touching off, simple past and past participle touched off)

  1. (transitive, idiomatic) 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. (transitive, idiomatic) To cause a fire to start.
    A spark touched off the conflagration.
  3. (machining) 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.

Translations

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