jumping-off place

noun

jump·​ing-off place ˌjəm-piŋ-ˈȯf- How to pronounce jumping-off place (audio)
1
: a place or point from which an enterprise, investigation, or discussion is launched

called also jumping-off point

2
: a remote or isolated place

Examples of jumping-off place in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The practice dates back to the Gold Rush, when the city’s powerful attraction as a jumping-off place for Forty-Niners seeking their fortunes in the nearby hills generated an equally potent counter-narrative. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 So that was the jumping-off place. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2022 Tucked among redwood trees, the hut is an ideal jumping-off place for exploring the forested and grassy knolls of Sam McDonald Park. David Gladish, Outside Online, 31 Jan. 2023 This criteria as a jumping-off place naturally leads to a wildly diverse group of people. Julie Seabaugh, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jumping-off place was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near jumping-off place

Cite this Entry

“Jumping-off place.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jumping-off%20place. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!