spark off



spark something off

 
1. Lit. to ignite something flammable or explosive. The lightning sparked afire off. The match sparked off a raging inferno.
2. Fig. to cause or start some violent or energetic activity. We were afraid there would be a riot and the speaker nearly sparked it off. The speaker sparked off quite a discussion.
See also: off, spark

spark off

v.
1. To ignite some fire: Forest rangers think that a cigarette sparked off the blaze. After the fire was extinguished, investigators tried to determine what sparked it off.
2. To set something in motion; trigger something: The assassination sparked off a revolution. Historians disagree about what sparked the riot off.
See also: off, spark

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Majid-Arabic
Lucijan-Croatian
Makariy-Russian (Archaic)
Appert[ə'peə]
Nefertitinef-ər-TEE-tee (English)Ancient Egyptian
ElmaEL-mah (German)Dutch, German