“off” – English explanatory dictionary

adv, prep 1. showing movement or position away from a place ○ We’re off to the shops. ○ The office is just off the main road. ○ They spent their holiday on an island off the coast of Wales. ○ The children got off the bus. ○ Take your boots off before you come into the house. 2. away from work ○ She took the week off. ○ It’s my day off today. ○ Half the staff are off with flu. 3. not switched on ○ Switch the light off before you leave the office. ○ Is the TV off? 4. not liking food; not taking food or drink ○ I’m off alcohol for six months. ○ She’s off shellfish because it gives her a rash. 5. □ the deal is off the deal is not going to happen ■ adj 1. switched off ○ Make sure the switch is in the OFF position. 2. not good to eat ○ I think this meat’s a bit off. 3. (in a restaurant) not available ○ Chicken is off today. 4. not going to happen ○ She phoned to say the deal was off.

adv. [OE. of, orig. the same word as R. of, prep., AS. of, adv. & prep. rad.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.

interj. Away; begone; — a command to depart.

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.)

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.