send-off

See also: sendoff and send off

English

Etymology

Deverbal from send off.

Noun

send-off (plural send-offs)

1. (sports) A penalty for a serious infraction of the rules in which the player is ordered to leave for the rest of the game; red card
   • 2009, Mathew Brown, Patrick Guthrie, Greg Growden, Rugby For Dummies, →ISBN, page 333:

     A send-off occurs when a player commits a serious violation and is ordered by the referee to leave the field for the rest of the game.

   • 2009, Shireen Lolesi, Wives and Girlfriends, →ISBN, page 12:

     Some of the players tried to heavy or sweet-talk the referee into reversing his decision, even as the threat of a send-off loomed.

   • 2011, Sean Fagan, Dally Messenger III, The Master, →ISBN:

     Dally had a running battle with the referee, who accused him of kneeing an opponent — though, given a punch was enough to earn a send-off, perhaps the official was unsure of what he saw as Dally was not asked to leave the field.

2. Alternative form of sendoff
   • 1960 December, “The Glasgow Suburban Electrification is opened”, in Trains Illustrated, page 712:

     The last regular steam-hauled passenger train between Glasgow and Helensburgh Central was given a fitting send-off from Queen Street Low Level at 11.2 p.m. on Friday, November 4.

   • 1988, Charles Rey, Neil Parsons, Michael Crowder, Monarch of All I Survey: Bechuanaland Diaries, 1929-1937, →ISBN, page 180:

     A great send-off at the station for Stanley.

   • 2000, Chris Kiana, Alaska Crying Baby, →ISBN:

     The medicine man gave the faithful animal a proper send-off into its next spiritual world.

   • 2011, Philippe Besson, In The Absence Of Men, →ISBN:

     You say: you should have seen it, you should have seen the send-off, the cheering crowds following us to the train, everyone joyful, clapping and shouting, cheering us on, it was like a festival to the triumphant sound of the Marseillaise.

   • 2012, Binoo K. John, The Last Song Of Savio De Souza, →ISBN:

     In that coast of send-offs and farewells, how did one more send-off matter?

   • 2014, Mark Robertson, Off Key, →ISBN, page 314:

     Now that he had given her the cheque from Sir John they could be a little more relaxed about giving Harry the send-off he merited.

References

• “send-off”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

• ends off, offends