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Glite Dictionary
wave-off

wave-off

8.1
A signal to stop an approach and try again
  • noun
  • /ˈweɪv ɔf/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cancelación
  • The pilot performed a wave-off after noticing another plane on the runway.

Examples

  • The referee called a wave-off and the players reset for the next attempt.

  • The pilot received a wave-off just before landing.

  • After two wave-offs, the astronaut finally managed to dock with the station.

  • After the wave-off, the aircraft circled the airport.

  • The pilot received a wave-off when he was instructed to abort the landing due to poor visibility.

  • After two unsuccessful attempts to land, the air traffic controller issued a wave-off to the aircraft.

  • The coach called a wave-off of the play after noticing the opposing team was not in position.

Synonyms

go-around
vswave-off
  • Specialized
4 8.4

Stopping an approach or attempt to try again, for example when a plane pulls up instead of landing

is used mainly as an instruction to stop and try again

Surface Forms

wave-off singular
wave-offs plural

Morphology

wave-off = wave off (semi-transparent) = wave + off

The noun is transparently related to the phrasal verb 'wave off', but the aviation sense is specialized and not fully predictable from the everyday phrase.

Etymology

Wave-off comes from the simple action of wave meaning a hand signal and off meaning 'away' or 'stop'. So a wave-off is when someone, like a pilot or referee, is told to stop an approach or attempt and try again.