go-off

go-off

See also: go off

English

Noun

go-off (plural go-offs)

1. start; beginning; commencement
   • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, chapter 4

     At last, he emerged with his hat very much dented and crushed down over his eyes, and began creaking and limping about the room, as if, not being much accustomed to boots, his pair of damp, wrinkled cowhide ones— probably not made to order either—rather pinched and tormented him at the first go off of a bitter cold morning.

   • 1922 February, James Joyce, Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare & Co.; Sylvia Beach, OCLC 560090630; republished London: Published for the Egoist Press, London by John Rodker, Paris, October 1922, OCLC 2297483:

     Episode 16

     Corley at the first go-off was inclined to suspect it was something to do with Stephen being fired out of his digs for bringing in a bloody tart off the street.

Usage notes

This is normally used in the phrase "at the first go-off".

Translations

start; beginning

Bulgarian: старт m (start), начало (bg) n (načalo)