Set off

[irmamar]

I have doubts about the definition of booth: a small area set off by walls (well, that's a short definition). But when I look up "set off" I can see the following:

set off

1. v + adv (begin journey) salir(conj.⇒)

1. v + o + adv, v + adv + o
   1. (activate) ‹bomb/mine› hacer(conj.⇒) explotar;
      ‹alarm› hacer(conj.⇒) sonar;
      ‹firework› lanzar(conj.⇒), tirar
   1. (enhance) hacer(conj.⇒) resaltar

I guess that the meaning of the definition of "booth" is "un pequeño recinto rodeado por vallas" or something similar, but I can't understand the meanings of "set off" that I found in the dictionary with "rodear".

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I guess that the meaning of the definition of "booth" is "un pequeño recinto rodeado por vallas" or something similar, but I can't understand the meanings of "set off" that I found in the dictionary with "rodear".

You have seleted the word set which has (I think) the most number of definitions of any word in the English language, and derives from ίστημι, as does estar. It has a huge number of meanings, and with a preposition or article has even more. To set off in the sense of enclose or define is really an obscure meaning, and in your post does not really help with the definition of booth, which these days means something similar. For example a telephone booth is a public telephone with a door, or when voting in an election, a vote is private because you go into a voting booth to mark your voting paper.

Was that any help?

By the way, booth is pronounced with the th as in the, not thick.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

You have seleted the word set which has (I think) the most number of definitions of any word in the English language, and derives from ίστημι, as does estar. It has a huge number of meanings, and with a preposition or article has even more. To set off in the sense of enclose or define is really an obscure meaning, and in your post does not really help with the definition of booth, which these days means something similar. For example a telephone booth is a public telephone with a door, or when voting in an election, a vote is private because you go into a voting booth to mark your voting paper.

Was that any help?

By the way, booth is pronounced with the th as in the, not thick.

Well, I know what booth means, but I must study its definition ( ), and that is what the dictionary says.

Thanks, anyway.

[chileno]

Just in case.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20off

[irmamar]

I've seen a good definition for "booth" in your link, Chileno. Thanks.

[CrOtALiTo]

Thank you Irmamar.

I have learnt a new words unknown for me.

Set off means estallar.

[irmamar]

Yes, but I think that the meaning is "activar" (una bomba, una mina):

Somebody set a mine off/ set a bomb off. (alguien la activó)
The bomb exploded. (explotó sola)

But let a native explain it better.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Yes, but I think that the meaning is "activar" (una bomba, una mina):

Somebody set a mine off/ set a bomb off. (alguien la activó)
The bomb exploded. (explotó sola)

But let a native explain it better.

You explain it perfecty well. If you have an outside security light which switches itself on with movement, you would say

The security alarm was set off by a burglar
or
The security alarm went off for no reason (it wasn't set off by anything).

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Yes, but I think that the meaning is "activar" (una bomba, una mina):

Somebody set a mine off/ set a bomb off. (alguien la activó)
The bomb exploded. (explotó sola)

But let a native explain it better.

Here there're other examples.

Someone set off the circuit panel in the company and that caused a explosion very big in the city.