Word: off Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Germanic *ab Proto-West Germanic *ab Old English æf Old English of Middle English of English off From Middle English of, from Old English of, af, æf (“from, off, away”), from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab (“from”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo (“from, off, back”). Doublet of of. Cognates Cognate with Scots aff (“away, off”), Saterland Frisian oawe, ou (“from”), West Frisian ôf (“away, off”), Dutch af (“from, off”), German ab (“from, off”), German Low German, Luxembourgish of (“off”), Yiddish אָפּ (op, “off”), Danish, Icelandic af (“from, off”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk av (“off”), Swedish af, av (“off”), Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af, “of, from”); and with Latin ab (“of, from, by”), Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “from”), and others. Pronunciation: /ɒf/, /ɔːf/, /ɔf/, [ɔːf], /ɑf/ 1. Inoperative, disabled. Labels: predicative Example: All the lights are off. 2. Cancelled; not happening. Labels: predicative Example: The party's off because the hostess is sick. 3. Not fitted; not being worn. Example: Your feet will feel better once those tight boots are off. Example: The drink spilled out of the bottle because the top was off. 4. Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. Example: This calculation is off: the numbers don't add up. Example: Is it right to say 'the amount of cars'? It sounds off to me. 5. Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. Labels: predicative Example: I felt that his comments were a bit off. 6. Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. Example: sales are off this quarter 7. Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. 8. Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. Labels: UK Example: This milk is off! 9. Denoting something faulty, unsatisfactory, objectionable etc. Labels: Australia, broadly, slang 10. Circumstanced. Labels: usually Example: Our family used to be well off; now we're very badly off. Example: How are you off for milk? Shall I get you some more from the shop? 11. Started on the way. Example: off to see the wizard Example: And they're off! Whatsmyname takes an early lead, with Remember The Mane behind by a nose. 12. Far; off to the side. Example: He took me down the corridor and into an off room. Example: the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse 13. Temporarily not attending a usual place, such as work or school, especially owing to illness or holiday. Example: John's off today. He's back on Wednesday. 14. 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. Example: He took an off day for fishing. an off year in politics; the off season 15. Presently unavailable. (of a dish on a menu) Labels: predicative Example: I'll have the chicken please. — Sorry, chicken's off today. 16. On the side furthest from the kerb (the right-hand side if one drives on the left). Labels: UK Example: The off front wheel came loose. Example: The man and the horse came closer and were Sonny Jacobs of the Diamond Six and a smallish neat sorrel definitely favouring its off forefoot. 17. In, or towards the half of the field away from the batsman's legs; the right side for a right-handed batsman. 18. Offsuit. Labels: slang