I. intransitive verb
: to break away from a group like a swarm from a hive of bees
a portion of a nation hives off to a new territory and builds a new nationalism of its own — R.M.MacIver
II. verb
transitive verb
chiefly Britain : to make separate: as
a. : to remove from a group
hived off a number of girls for special treatment — Barry Hill
b. : to assign (as assets or responsibilities) to another : relinquish control of
administrative responsibilities … have been hived off to ad hoc agencies — A.H.Hanson & Malcolm Walles
c. : to spin off