Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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\, interj. Away; begone; -- a command to depart.
\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\, 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\, n. (Cricket) The side of the field that is on the right of the wicket keeper.