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hand·off

(hăndôf′, -ŏf′)

1. Football The act or an instance of handing the ball to a teammate during a play.

2. Sports The act or an instance of handing a baton to a teammate in a relay race.

3. The act or an instance of passing something or the control of it from one person or agency to another: a handoff of the aircraft from one air traffic facility to another.

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handoff

Mary Wineberg (left) and Allyson Felix (right) of the United States in the 4x400 meter relay final at the 2008 Olympic Games

Beijing, China

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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