ɔf adv.,
prep.,
adj., & n. --adv. 1
away; at or to a
distance (drove off; is
three miles off). 2
out of
position;
not on or
touching or attached;
loose,
separate,
gone (has
come off;
take your coat off). 3 so as to be
rid of (sleep it off). 4 so as to break
continuity or
continuance; discontinued, stopped (turn off
the radio; take a
day off; the game is off). 5 not
available as a
choice, e.g. on a
menu (chips are off). 6 to the
end;
entirely; so as to be
clear (clear off;
finish off; pay off). 7 situated as regards
money, supplies, etc. (is
badly off; is not
very well off). 8 off-stage (noises off). 9 (of
food etc.)
beginning to
decay. 10 (with preceding numeral) denoting a
quantity produced or
made at
one time (esp. one-off). --prep. 1 a
from; away or down or up from (fell off the
chair;
took something off the
price; jumped off the edge). b not on (was
already off the pitch). 2 a (temporarily)
relieved of or abstaining from (off
duty; am off my diet). b not attracted by
for the time
being (off
their food; off smoking). c not achieving or
doing one's
best in (off
form; off one's game). 3 using as a
source or
means of
support (live off the land). 4 leading from; not
far from (a
street off the Strand). 5 at a
short distance to
sea from (sank off Cape Horn). --adj. 1 far,
further (the off
side of the wall). 2 (of a
part of a
vehicle,
animal, or road)
right (the off
front wheel). 3 Cricket designating the
half of the
field (as divided
lengthways through the pitch) to
which the striker's
feet are
pointed. --n. 1 Cricket the off side. 2 the
start of a race. øa bit off
Brit. colloq. 1
rather annoying or
unfair. 2
somewhat unwell (am
feeling a bit off). off
and on intermittently;
now and
then. off-centre not
quite coinciding
with a
central position. the off
chance see CHANCE. off
colour 1 not in
good health. 2 US somewhat
indecent. off the cuff see
CUFF(1). off-day a day
when one is not at one's best. off-drive Cricket
drive (the ball) to the off side. off one's feet see
FOOT. off form see FORM. off
guard see GUARD. off one's hands see
HAND. off one's
head see HEAD. off-key 1 out of
tune. 2 not quite
suitable or
fitting. off-licence Brit. 1 a
shop selling
alcoholic drink for
consumption elsewhere. 2 a
licence for
this. off limits see
LIMIT. off-line Computing (of a
computer terminal or process) not
directly controlled by or
connected to a central
processor. off of sl. disp. = OFF
prep. (picked it off of the floor). off-peak used or for
use at times
other than those of greatest
demand. off the
peg see PEG. off-piste (of skiing) away from prepared
ski runs. off the
point adj.
irrelevant. --adv. irrelevantly. off-putting Brit. disconcerting;
repellent. off the
record see RECORD. off-road attrib.adj. 1 away from the road, on
rough terrain. 2 (of a vehicle etc.) designed for rough terrain or for
cross-country driving. off-season a time when
business etc. is slack. off-stage adj. & adv. not on the
stage and so not
visible or
audible to the
audience. off-street (esp. of parking vehicles) other than on a street. off-time a time when business etc. is slack. off-the-wall sl.
crazy,
absurd,
outlandish. off-white
white with a
grey or yellowish
tinge. [orig. var. of
OF, to
distinguish the sense]