off adverb [Pref. a- + round.]

[OE. of, orig. the same word as R. of, prep., AS. of, adv. & prep. √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 do a take-off on

To take off

to mimic, lampoon, or impersonate.

To tell off

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

(b) to rebuke (a person) for an improper action; to scold; to reprimand.

To be well off

to be in good condition.

To be ill off

To be badly off

to be in poor condition.

Off (ŏf; 115) interjection Away; begone; – a command to depart.

Off preposition 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

(a) to be of a wrong color.

(b) to be mildly obscene.

To be off one's food

or

To be off one's feed (Colloq.)

to have no appetite; to be eating less than usual.

Off adjective

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. Off side

(a) The right hand side in driving; the farther side. See Gee.

(b) (Cricket) See Off, noun

Off noun (Cricket)

1. The side of the field that is on the right of the wicket keeper.

2. A dead body; carrion. Shak.

3. That which is thrown away as worthless or unfit for use; refuse; rubbish.

The offals of other professions. South.