英和和英

動詞

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.