PDA

Set off

View Full Version : Set off


irmamar
May 03, 2010, 02:30 AM
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

v + adv (begin journey) salir(conj.⇒ (http://www.wordreference.com/conj/ESverbs.asp?v=salir))



v + o + adv, v + adv + o

(activate) ‹bomb/mine› hacer(conj.⇒ (http://www.wordreference.com/conj/ESverbs.asp?v=hacer)) explotar;
‹alarm› hacer(conj.⇒ (http://www.wordreference.com/conj/ESverbs.asp?v=hacer)) sonar;
‹firework› lanzar(conj.⇒ (http://www.wordreference.com/conj/ESverbs.asp?v=lanzar)), tirar



(enhance) hacer(conj.⇒ (http://www.wordreference.com/conj/ESverbs.asp?v=hacer)) 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". :thinking:

Perikles
May 03, 2010, 03:06 AM
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". :thinking: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? :thinking::)

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

irmamar
May 03, 2010, 06:25 AM
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? :thinking::)

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. :thinking:

Thanks, anyway. :)

chileno
May 03, 2010, 07:36 AM
Just in case.

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

irmamar
May 03, 2010, 11:56 AM
I've seen a good definition for "booth" in your link, Chileno. Thanks. :)

CrOtALiTo
May 04, 2010, 01:02 PM
Thank you Irmamar.

I have learnt a new words unknown for me.

Set off means estallar.

irmamar
May 05, 2010, 12:47 AM
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. :thinking:

Perikles
May 05, 2010, 05:01 AM
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. :thinking: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
May 05, 2010, 01:35 PM
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. :thinking:

Here there're other examples.

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