off definition | Dictionary.com

off

[awf, of]

–adverb

1.	so as to be no longer supported or attached: This button is about to come off.

2.	so as to be no longer covering or enclosing: to take a hat off; to take the wrapping off.

3.	away from a place: to run off; to look off toward the west.

4.	away from a path, course, etc.; aside: This road branches off to Grove City.

5.	so as to be away or on one's way: to start off early; to cast off.

6.	away from what is considered normal, regular, standard, or the like: to go off on a tangent.

7.	from a charge or price: He took 10 percent off for all cash purchases.

8.	at a distance in space or future time: to back off a few feet; Summer is only a week off.

9.	out of operation or effective existence: Turn the lights off.

10.	into operation or action: The alarm goes off at noon.

11.	so as to interrupt continuity or cause discontinuance: Negotiations have been broken off.

12.	in absence from work, service, a job, etc.: two days off at Christmas.

13.	completely; utterly: to kill off all the inhabitants.

14.	with prompt or ready performance: to dash a letter off.

15.	to fulfillment, or into execution or effect: The contest came off on the appointed day.

16.	into nonexistence or nothingness: My headache passed off soon.

17.	so as to be delineated, divided, or apportioned: Mark it off into equal parts.

18.	away from a state of consciousness: I must have dozed off.

19.	Nautical. away from the land, a ship, the wind, etc.

–preposition

20.	so as no longer to be supported by, attached to, on, resting on, or unified with: Take your feet off the table! Break a piece of bread off the loaf.

21.	deviating from: off balance; off course.

22.	below or less than the usual or expected level or standard: 20 percent off the marked price; I was off my golf game.

23.	away, disengaged, or resting from: to be off duty on Tuesdays.

24.	Informal. refraining or abstaining from; denying oneself the pleasure, company, practice, etc., of: He's off gambling.

25.	away from; apart or distant from: a village off the main road.

26.	leading into or away from: an alley off 12th Street.

27.	not fixed on or directed toward, as the gaze, eyes, etc.: Their eyes weren't off the king for a moment.

28.	Informal. from (a specified source): I bought it off a street vendor.

29.	from or of, indicating material or component parts: to lunch off cheese and fruit.

30.	from or by such means or use of: living off an inheritance; living off his parents.

31.	Nautical. at some distance to seaward of: off Cape Hatteras.

–adjective

32.	in error; wrong: You are off on that point.

33.	slightly abnormal or not quite sane: He is a little off, but he's really harmless.

34.	not up to standard; not so good or satisfactory as usual; inferior or subnormal: a good play full of off moments.

35.	no longer in effect, in operation, or in process: The agreement is off.

36.	stopped from flowing, as by the closing of a valve: The electricity is off.

37.	in a specified state, circumstance, etc.: to be badly off for money.

38.	(of time) free from work or duty; nonworking: a pastime for one's off hours.

39.	not working at one's usual occupation: We're off Wednesdays during the summer.

40.	of less than the ordinary activity, liveliness, or lively interest; slack: an off season in the tourist trade.

41.	unlikely; remote; doubtful: on the off chance that we'd find her at home.

42.	more distant; farther: the off side of a wall.

43.	(of a vehicle, single animal, or pair of animals hitched side by side) of, being, or pertaining to the right as seen from the rider's or driver's viewpoint (opposed to near ): the off horse; the off side.

44.	starting on one's way; leaving: I'm off to Europe on Monday. They're off and running in the third race at Aqueduct.

45.	lower in price or value; down: Stock prices were off this morning.

46.	Nautical. noting one of two like things that is the farther from the shore; seaward: the off side of the ship.

47.	Cricket. noting or pertaining to that side of the wicket or of the field opposite that on which the batsman stands.

–noun

48.	the state or fact of being off.

49.	Cricket. the off side.

–verb (used without object)

50.	to go off or away; leave (used imperatively): Off, and don't come back!

–verb (used with object)

51.	Slang. to kill; slay.

—Verb phrase

52.	get off on. get (def. 57).

—Idioms

53.	get it off. get (def. 54).

54.

off and on,

a.	Also, on and off. with intervals between; intermittently: to work off and on.

b.	Nautical. on alternate tacks.

55.	off of, Informal. off: Take your feet off of the table!

56.

off with,

a.	take away; remove: Off with those muddy boots before you step into this kitchen!

b.	cut off: Off with his head!

Origin:
orig. stressed var. of of ¹

Usage note:
The phrasal preposition off of is old in English, going back to the 16th century. Although usage guides reject it as redundant, recommending off without of, the phrase is widespread in speech, including that of the educated: Let's watch as the presidential candidates come off of the rostrum and down into the audience. Off of is rare in edited writing except to give the flavor of speech.

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-off

a suffixal use of the adverb off, forming nouns that denote competitions, esp. between the finalists of earlier competitions or as a means of deciding a tie: cookoff; playoff; runoff.

off.

offered.

office.

officer.

official.

die

1 [dahy]

–verb (used without object), died, dy⋅ing.

1.	to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead.

2.	(of something inanimate) to cease to exist: The laughter died on his lips.

3.	to lose force, strength, or active qualities: Superstitions die slowly.

4.	to cease to function; stop: The motor died.

5.	to be no longer subject; become indifferent: to die to worldly matters.

6.	to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually fol. by away, out, or down): The storm slowly died down.

7.	Theology. to lose spiritual life.

8.	to faint or languish.

9.	to suffer as if fatally: I'm dying of boredom!

10.	to pine with desire, love, longing, etc.: I'm dying to see my home again.

11.	to desire or want keenly or greatly: I'm dying for a cup of coffee.

—Verb phrases

12.	die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease: The hoofbeats gradually died away.

13.	die down, to become calm or quiet; subside.

14.	die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced: Her friends are dying off.

15.

die out,

a.	to cease to exist; become extinct: Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.

b.	to die away; fade; subside: The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.

—Idioms

16.

die hard,

a.	to die only after a bitter struggle.

b.	to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty: Childhood beliefs die hard.

17.	die standing up, Theater. (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.

18.	never say die, never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.

19.	to die for, stunning; remarkable: That dress is to die for.

Origin:
1150–1200; ME dien, deien < ON deyja. Cf. dead, death

Synonyms:
1. expire, depart. Die, pass away (pass on), perish mean to relinquish life. To die is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity: An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies. Pass away (or pass on) is a commonly used euphemism implying a con-tinuation of life after death: Grandfather passed away (passed on). Perish, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively, perish connotes utter extinction: Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To off

off (ôf, ŏf)

adv.

From a place or position: drove off.
1. At a certain distance in space or time: a mile off; a week off.
2. From a given course or route; aside: swerved off into a ditch.
3. Into a state of unconsciousness: I must have dozed off.
4. So as to be no longer on, attached, or connected: shaved off his mustache.
5. So as to be divided: marked off the playing field by yards.
1. So as to be no longer on, attached, or connected: shaved off his mustache.
2. So as to be divided: marked off the playing field by yards.
So as to be no longer continuing, operating, or functioning: switched off the radio.
So as to be completely removed, finished, or eliminated: kill off the mice.
So as to be smaller, fewer, or less: Sales dropped off.
So as to be away from work or duty: They took a day off.
Offstage.

adj.

1. Distant or removed; farther: the off side of the barn.
2. Remote; slim: stopped by on the off chance that they're home.
3. Not up to standard; below a normal or satisfactory level: Your pitching is off today.
4. Not accurate; incorrect: Your statistical results are off.
5. Somewhat crazy; eccentric: I think that person is a little off.
6. Absent or away from work or duty: She's off every Tuesday.
7. Spent away from work or duty: My off day is Saturday.
8. Being on the right side of an animal or vehicle.
9. Being the animal or vehicle on the right.
Not on, attached, or connected: with my shoes off.
Not operating or operational: The oven is off.
No longer taking place; canceled: The wedding is off.
Slack: Production was off this year.
1. Not up to standard; below a normal or satisfactory level: Your pitching is off today.
2. Not accurate; incorrect: Your statistical results are off.
3. Somewhat crazy; eccentric: I think that person is a little off.
4. Absent or away from work or duty: She's off every Tuesday.
5. Spent away from work or duty: My off day is Saturday.
6. Being on the right side of an animal or vehicle.
7. Being the animal or vehicle on the right.
Started on the way; going: I'm off to see the president.
1. Absent or away from work or duty: She's off every Tuesday.
2. Spent away from work or duty: My off day is Saturday.
3. Being on the right side of an animal or vehicle.
4. Being the animal or vehicle on the right.
1. Being on the right side of an animal or vehicle.
2. Being the animal or vehicle on the right.
Nautical Farthest from the shore; seaward.
Sports Toward or designating the side of the field facing the batsman in cricket.
Off-color.

prep.

So as to be removed or distant from: The bird hopped off the branch.
Away or relieved from: off duty.
1. By consuming: living off locusts and honey.
2. With the means provided by: living off my pension.
3. Informal From: "What else do you want off me?" (Jimmy Breslin).
Extending or branching out from: an artery off the heart.
Not up to the usual standard of: off his game.
So as to abstain from: went off narcotics.
Nautical To seaward of: a mile off Sandy Hook.

v.   offed, off·ing, offs

v.   intr.
To go away; leave: Off or I'll call the police.
v.   tr. Slang
To murder.

[Variant of Middle English of, from Old English; see apo- in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: The compound preposition off of is generally regarded as informal and is best avoided in formal speech and writing: He stepped off (not off of) the platform. Off is informal as well when used to indicate a source: formal style requires I borrowed it from (not off) my brother.

Off

Off\, adv. [OE. of, orig. the same word as R. of, prep., AS. of, adv. & prep. [root]194. See Of.] In a general sense, denoting from or away from; as:

1. Denoting distance or separation; as, the house is a mile off.

2. Denoting the action of removing or separating; separation; as, to take off the hat or cloak; to cut off, to pare off, to clip off, to peel off, to tear off, to march off, to fly off, and the like.

3. Denoting a leaving, abandonment, departure, abatement, interruption, or remission; as, the fever goes off; the pain goes off; the game is off; all bets are off.

4. Denoting a different direction; not on or towards: away; as, to look off.

5. Denoting opposition or negation. [Obs.]

The questions no way touch upon puritanism, either off or on. --Bp. Sanderson.

From off, off from; off. "A live coal . . . taken with the tongs from off the altar." --Is. vi. 6.

Off and on. (a) Not constantly; not regularly; now and then; occasionally. (b) (Naut.) On different tacks, now toward, and now away from, the land.

To be off. (a) To depart; to escape; as, he was off without a moment's warning. (b) To be abandoned, as an agreement or purpose; as, the bet was declared to be off. [Colloq.]

To come off, To cut off, To fall off, To go off, etc. See under Come, Cut, Fall, Go, etc.

To get off. (a) To utter; to discharge; as, to get off a joke. (b) To go away; to escape; as, to get off easily from a trial. [Colloq.]

To take off, to mimic or personate.

To tell off (Mil.), to divide and practice a regiment or company in the several formations, preparatory to marching to the general parade for field exercises. --Farrow.

To be well off, to be in good condition.

To be ill off, To be badly off, to be in poor condition.

Off

Off\, interj. Away; begone; -- a command to depart.

Off

Off\, prep. Not on; away from; as, to be off one's legs or off the bed; two miles off the shore. --Addison.

Off hand. See Offhand.

Off side (Football), out of play; -- said when a player has got in front of the ball in a scrimmage, or when the ball has been last touched by one of his own side behind him.

To be off color, to be of a wrong color.

To be off one's food, to have no appetite. (Colloq.)

Off

Off\, a. 1. On the farther side; most distant; on the side of an animal or a team farthest from the driver when he is on foot; in the United States, the right side; as, the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse or ox; the off leg.

2. Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from his post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent; as, he took an off day for fishing: an off year in politics. "In the off season." --Thackeray.

Off side. (a) The right hand side in driving; the farther side. See Gee. (b) (Cricket) See Off, n.

Off

Off\, n. (Cricket) The side of the field that is on the right of the wicket keeper.

Language Translation for : off

Spanish: fuera,

German: weg, ab,

Japanese: 離れて

More Translations »

off

by c.1200 as an emphatic form of O.E. of (see of), employed in the adverbial use of that word. The prepositional meaning "away from" and the adj. sense of "farther" were not firmly fixed in this variant until 17c., but once they were they left the original of with the transf. and weakened senses of the word. Meaning "not working" is from 1861; verb sense of "to kill" first attested 1930. Off the cuff (1938) is from the notion of speaking from notes written in haste on one's shirt cuffs. Off the rack (adj.) is from 1963; off the record is from 1933; off the wall "crazy" is 1968, probably from the notion of a lunatic "bouncing off the walls" or else in ref. to carom shots in squash, handball, etc.

off

In addition to the idioms beginning with off, also see back off; bad off; beat off; beat the pants off; beg off; be off; better off; bite off more than one can chew; bite someone's head off; blast off; blow off; blow off steam; blow the lid off; bore to death (the pants off); branch off; break off; bring off; browned off; brush off; bug off; bump off; burn off; buy off; buzz off; call off; cap it all (off); carry off; cart off; cast off; change off; charge off; check off; cheesed off; chip off the old block; choke off; clear out (off); come off; come off it; cool down (off); cool off; count off; cry off; cut off; cut off one's nose; dash off; day off; die off; doze off; drop off; dust off; ease off; easy as pie (rolling off a log); fall away (off); fat of the land, live off the; fight off; fire off; first off; fish or cut bait (shit or get off); fly off the handle; fob off; fuck off; get off; get off on; get off one's tail; get off the dime; get off the ground; give off; give the shirt off one's back; go off; go off the deep end; goof off; hands off; hats off to; haul off; have it (off); head off; high off the hog; hit it off; hold off; hot off the press; jerk off; jumping-off place; keep off; kick off; kill off; kiss off; knock it off; knock off; knock someone's block off; knock the socks off; laugh off; lay off; lead off; leave off; let off; level off; lift off; like a chicken with its head cut off; like water off a duck's back; load off one's mind; log in (off); make off; mouth off; nod off; no skin off one's nose; on (off) camera; on (off) duty; on the (off) chance; pack off; pair off; palm off; pants off; pass off; pay off; peel off; pick off; piss off; play off; polish off; pull off; push off; put off; put someone off; quick off the mark; rake off; rattle off; right away (off); rip off; round off; rub off; run away (off); run off; run off at the mouth; run off with; rush off one's feet; seal off; see someone off; sell off; send off; set off; shake off; shoot off one's mouth; show off; shrug off; sign off; slack off; slip out (off); sound off; spin off; split one's sides (laugh one's head off); sponge on (off); square off; squeeze off; stand off; stave off; stop off; straight off; swear off; switch on (off); tail off; take off; take off after; take the edge off; take up where one left off; talk someone's arm off; taper off; tear off; tee off; tell off; tell someone where to get off; throw off; trade off; wipe off the map. Also see under on.

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