KICK OFF

{v. phr.} 1. To make the kick that begins a football game. * /John kicked off and the football game started./ 2. {informal} To begin; launch; start. * /The candidate kicked off his campaign with a speech on television./ * /The fund raising drive was kicked off with a theater party./ 3. {slang} To die. * /Mr. Jones was almost ninety years old when he kicked off./ Syn.: KICK THE BUCKET.