take off

Verb

take off (third-person singular simple present takes off, present participle taking off, simple past took off, past participle taken off)

1. (transitive) To remove.
   • He took off his shoes.
   • The test grader takes off a point for every misspelled word.

   Synonyms:

   doff

2. (transitive, usually) To imitate (somebody), often in a satirical manner.
   • 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

3. (intransitive) To leave the ground and ascend into the air or into flight.
   • The plane has been cleared to take off from runway 3.
   • That high-jumper takes off from her left foot.
4. To 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
5. (intransitive) To become successful, to flourish.
   • The business has really taken off this year and has made quite a profit.
   • The message is now the medium – that is powerful and means products can take off practically all by themselves.2007 July 12, The Guardian, A welcome invasion.

   Synonyms:

   bloom, blossom, flourish, grow, thrive

6. (intransitive) To depart.
   • I'm going to take off now.
   • Take off, loser!

   Synonyms:

   depart

7. (transitive) To quantify.
   • I'll take off the concrete and steel for this construction project.
8. (ambitransitive) To absent oneself from (work or other responsibility), especially with permission.
   • If you take off for Thanksgiving you must work Christmas and vice versa.
   • He decided to let his mother take a night off from cooking, so he took her and his siblings out to dinner.
9. (dated, intransitive, slang) To take drugs; to inject drugs.
10. (dated, slang, transitive) To steal (something) or rob (someone).
11. (archaic, transitive) To swallow.
    • to take off a glass of wine