Meaning of off in English | Powered by Free Dictionary API

noun

• (usually in phrases such as 'from the off', 'at the off', etc.) Beginning; starting point.

  Example: He has been very obviously an untrustworthy narrator right from the off.

verb

• To kill.

  Example: He got in the way so I had him offed.

• To switch off.

  Example: Can you off the light?

adjective

• Inoperative, disabled.

  Example: All the lights are off.

• Cancelled; not happening.

  Example: The party's off because the hostess is sick.

• Not fitted; not being worn.

  Example: The drink spilled out of the bottle because the top was off.

• Rancid, rotten, gone bad.

  Example: This milk is off!

• Less than normal, in temperament or in result.

  Example: sales are off this quarter

• Inappropriate; untoward.

  Example: I felt that his comments were a bit off.

• (in phrases such as 'well off', 'better off', 'poorly off') Circumstanced.

• Started on the way.

  Example: And they're off! Whatsmyname takes an early lead, with Remember The Mane behind by a nose.

• Far; off to the side.

  Example: He took me down the corridor and into an off room.

• Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from a post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent.

  Example: He took an off day for fishing.  an off year in politics; the off season

• (in phrases such as 'off day') Designating a time when one is not performing to the best of one's abilities.

• (of a dish on a menu) Presently unavailable.

  Example: — I'll have the chicken please.

• (in relation to a vehicle) On the side furthest from the kerb (the right-hand side if one drives on the left).

  Example: The off front wheel came loose.

• In, or towards the half of the field away from the batsman's legs; the right side for a right-handed batsman.

adverb

• In a direction away from the speaker or object.

  Example: He drove off in a cloud of smoke.

• Into a state of non-operation or non-existence.

  Example: Please switch off the light when you leave.

• So as to remove or separate, or be removed or separated.

  Example: He bit off the end of the carrot.

• Used in various other ways specific to individual idiomatic phrases, e.g. bring off, show off, put off, tell off, etc. See the entry for the individual phrase.

preposition

• Not positioned upon; away from a position upon.

  Example: He's off the roof now.

• Detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from; away from a position of attachment or connection to.

  Example: He was thrown off the team for cheating.

• Used to indicate the location or direction of one thing relative to another, implying adjacency or accessibility via.

  Example: His office is off this corridor on the right.

• Used to express location at sea relative to land or mainland.

  Example: The island is 23 miles off the cape.

• Removed or subtracted from.

  Example: There's 20% off the list price.

• No longer wanting or taking.

  Example: He's been off his feed since Tuesday.

• (more properly 'from') Out of the possession of.

  Example: He didn't buy it off him. He stole it off him.

• Placed after a number (of products or parts, as if a unit), in commerce or engineering.

  Example: I'd like to re-order those printer cartridges, let's say 5-off.