off Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb kill intentionally and with premeditation
murder; slay; dispatch; remove; hit; bump off; polish off.
- The mafia boss ordered his enemies murdered
adjective not in operation or operational
- the oven is off
- the lights are off
adjective satellite below a satisfactory level
- an off year for tennis
- his performance was off
adjective (of events) no longer planned or scheduled
cancelled.
- the wedding is definitely off
adjective satellite in an unpalatable state
turned; sour.
- sour milk
adjective satellite not performing or scheduled for duties
- He's off every Tuesday
adverb from a particular thing or place or position (`forth' is obsolete)
forth; away.
- ran away from the lion
- wanted to get away from there
- sent the children away to boarding school
- the teacher waved the children away from the dead animal
- went off to school
- they drove off
- go forth and preach
adverb at a distance in space or time
away.
- the boat was 5 miles off (or away)
- the party is still 2 weeks off (or away)
- away back in the 18th century
adverb no longer on or in contact or attached
- clean off the dirt
- he shaved off his mustache

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:
Denoting distance or separation; as, the house is a mile off.
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.
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.
Denoting a different direction; not on or towards: away; as, to look off.
Denoting opposition or negation. Obs.
The questions no way touch upon puritanism, either off or on. Bp. Sanderson.

Not on; away from; as, to be off one's legs or off the bed; two miles off the shore. Addison.

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.
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.