n. & v.
n. 1 a side-shoot from a plant serving for propagation. 2 an offshoot or scion. 3 a compensation; a consideration or amount diminishing or neutralizing the effect of a contrary one. 4 Archit. a sloping ledge in a wall etc. where the thickness of the part above is diminished. 5 a mountain-spur. 6 a bend in a pipe etc. to carry it past an obstacle. 7 (often attrib.) a method of printing in which ink is transferred from a plate or stone to a uniform rubber surface and from there to paper etc. (offset litho). 8 Surveying a short distance measured perpendicularly from the main line of measurement.
v.tr. (-setting; past and past part. -set) 1 counterbalance, compensate. 2 place out of line. 3 print by the offset process.