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adverb Off adv. 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." From off, off from; off. "A live coal... taken with the tongs from off the altar." 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. (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.
Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48
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