Is there a word for something that can be jumped off of? For example the ground can jumped off of, but you can not jump off something which is falling through the air. I'm looking for an adjective.
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2jump-off-able– ermanenCommented May 29, 2014 at 2:14
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1You can jump off of any hard surface that can support your weight, and which is not level, otherwise, you are just jumping. Unless you're in space or a free-fall; then you can push off. Is there more to this question? It sounds odd to me.– anongoodnurseCommented May 29, 2014 at 2:14
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I'm looking for an adjective which describes objects that are able to be jumped off of. I know it's an odd question, but isn't this the place for that?– gms9rcCommented May 29, 2014 at 5:36
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1People can jump off of things falling through the air, eg if standing on the wing of a falling airplane can jump up or down relative to it.– James Waldby - jwpat7Commented May 29, 2014 at 16:32
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How about "perch"?– Hot LicksCommented Jul 17, 2018 at 2:02
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4 Answers
What's wrong with a jump off? True, a jump off is usually associated with a location, as in
The jump off point for the parachutists was ten miles south of Interstate 79, just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico.
I don't see why you can't use jump off in referring to an object from which you are jumping.
The skateboarders used a specially constructed fifteen-foot-high platform as a jump off for their most dangerous stunt.
answered May 29, 2014 at 2:10
To jump off of something, it must be higher than wherever you are jumping to or falling to after jumping. Therefore the word elevation can be used for something off which a person can jump. The ground alone, at least level ground as @ Medica observes, can be jumped from, but not off.
el·e·va·tion [el-uh-vey-shuhn] noun
3. an elevated place, thing, or part; an eminence. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/elevation
Wouldn't you always be able to jump off of an edge?
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If the edge of something cannot apply an equal and opposite force to you when try jumping off it, then you can't jump off it.– gms9rcCommented May 29, 2014 at 5:39
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@gms9rc You are correct. I'm not sure why you mention it, though; As far as I'm aware, applying an equal and opposite force to a jumper is a property of any physical substance or medium that can have an edge. I guess you couldn't jump off the edge of something non-physical, like the border of an arbitrary region of space... Is that the kind of edge-case you were thinking of?– user867Commented Jul 4, 2014 at 5:22
I get where you are coming from: you're looking for a synonym for a starting block of the kind that runners use. Maybe springboard would work?
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Could you first explain the difference between "off" and "off of"? Commented Jul 17, 2018 at 1:17