jumping-off place

[ juhm-ping-awf, -of ]
/ ˈdʒʌm pɪŋˈɔf, -ˈɒf /

noun

a place for use as a starting point: Paris was the jumping-off place for our tour of Europe.
an out-of-the-way place; the farthest limit of anything settled or civilized.

Origin of jumping-off place

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

British Dictionary definitions for jumping-off place

jumping-off place

jumping-off point


noun

a starting point, as in an enterprise
a final or extreme condition
Canadian a place where one leaves civilization to go into the wilderness
US a very remote spot

Idioms and Phrases with jumping-off place

jumping-off place or point

1

A starting point for a journey or venture, as in This tiny village is the jumping-off place for our trek into the desert. This usage probably alludes to jumping into the water. [Early 1800s]

2

A very remote spot; also, the last place to be reached. For example, This was the jumping-off point for the first gold miners in Alaska. [Early 1800s]