PTO

/ˌpiː tiː ˈoʊ/
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A set of initials whose meaning depends on whether the setting is work, school, writing, or machinery.

Examples

  • Why has she written PTO beside her signature?
  • There was a small PTO in the lower-right corner.
  • The school does not require parents to join the PTO.
  • Switch off the engine before touching the PTO.
  • She was elected president of the PTO last spring.

Similar words

parent group
auxiliary drive
power take-off
please turn over
continued over
paid vacation
paid leave
overleaf
annual leave
power takeoff

Meanings

School parent group

education
neutral
Parent-Teacher Organization, mainly in the United States, a group of parents and school staff who support a school through meetings, events, and fundraising.

Examples

  • The PTO is raising money for a new playground.
  • Will you join the PTO meeting on Thursday?
  • Our PTO organized a welcome night for new families.
  • The school does not require parents to join the PTO.
  • She was elected president of the PTO last spring.

Similar words

Instruction to turn the page

writing
neutral
Please turn over, a mainly British note placed at the bottom of a page to show that writing continues on the other side.

Examples

  • The note ended with PTO, so I checked the back.
  • Write PTO at the bottom if your letter continues.
  • I missed the instructions because I did not notice PTO.
  • Why has she written PTO beside her signature?
  • There was a small PTO in the lower-right corner.

Similar words

Auxiliary machinery drive

engineering
technical
Power take-off, a shaft or other device that transfers power from an engine or transmission to attached equipment such as a mower or hydraulic pump.

Examples

  • Switch off the engine before touching the PTO.
  • The tractor's PTO powers the mower.
  • Do not step across a rotating PTO shaft.
  • He engaged the PTO to run the hydraulic pump.
  • Is this attachment compatible with the PTO speed?

Similar words

Etymology

Formed from the initial letters of several unrelated English expressions. Please turn over is established in British written use, while paid time off became common in American workplace language. The same initials also shorten Parent-Teacher Organization and power take-off.

FAQ

What does PTO mean at work?

At an American workplace, PTO usually means paid time off, paid leave that may cover vacation, personal, or sick days.

What does PTO mean at a school?

In the United States, it can mean Parent-Teacher Organization, a group that brings parents and school staff together.

What does PTO mean at the bottom of a letter?

It means please turn over and shows that the writing continues on the back of the page.

What is a PTO on a tractor?

It is the power take-off, a drive that sends engine power to equipment such as a mower or pump.

How is PTO pronounced?

It is said letter by letter as P-T-O, /ˌpiː tiː ˈoʊ/.

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