off

/ɔːf/

Dictionary

noun

(usually in phrases such as 'from the off', 'at the off', etc.) Beginning; starting point.
"He has been very obviously an untrustworthy narrator right from the off."

Inoperative, disabled.
"All the lights are off."
Cancelled; not happening.
"The party's off because the hostess is sick."
Not fitted; not being worn.
"The drink spilled out of the bottle because the top was off."
Rancid, rotten, gone bad.
"This milk is off!"
Less than normal, in temperament or in result.
"sales are off this quarter"
Inappropriate; untoward.
"I felt that his comments were a bit off."
(in phrases such as 'well off', 'better off', 'poorly off') Circumstanced.
Started on the way.
"And they're off! Whatsmyname takes an early lead, with Remember The Mane behind by a nose."
Far; off to the side.
"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.
"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.
"— 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).
"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.

In a direction away from the speaker or object.
"He drove off in a cloud of smoke."
Into a state of non-operation or non-existence.
"Please switch off the light when you leave."
So as to remove or separate, or be removed or separated.
"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.

Not positioned upon; away from a position upon.
"He's off the roof now."
Detached, separated, excluded or disconnected from; away from a position of attachment or connection to.
"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.
"His office is off this corridor on the right."
Used to express location at sea relative to land or mainland.
"The island is 23 miles off the cape."
Removed or subtracted from.
"There's 20% off the list price."
No longer wanting or taking.
"He's been off his feed since Tuesday."
(more properly 'from') Out of the possession of.
"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.
"I'd like to re-order those printer cartridges, let's say 5-off."

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