- touch off
- verbput in motion or move to act (Freq. 3)-
trigger a reaction
-actuate the circuits
• Syn:• Derivationally related forms:↑spark (for: ↑spark), ↑activation (for: ↑activate), ↑trigger (for: ↑trigger), ↑actuator (for: ↑actuate), ↑act (for: ↑actuate), ↑actuation (for: ↑actuate), ↑trip (for: ↑trip), ↑tripper (for: ↑trip)• Cause:• Verb Frames:-Somebody ——s something
-Something ——s something
* * *
transitive verb1. : to describe or characterize to a nicety : hit offa fine job of touching off the shallowness and confusion of his interloper role — Newsweek
a. : to cause to explode by or as if by touching with fireb. : to release or initiate with the sudden violence of an explosionthe charges touched off a storm of protest — R.A.Billington
3. : to start (a relay runner) by touching his extended hand* * *
touch offTo trigger, to cause to begin (also figurative)• • •Main Entry: ↑touch* * *
ˌtouch ˈoff [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they touch off he/she/it touches off present participle touching off past tense touched off past participle touched off] phrasal verbto make something unpleasant or dangerous happenThe raid touched off angry protests.
Thesaurus: to make something bad exist or happensynonymMain entry: touch* * *
touch off [phrasal verb]What touched off the fire?
The judge's verdict touched off riots throughout the city.
• • •Main Entry: ↑touch
Useful english dictionary. 2012.