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.
Phrases and idioms:
a 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.
Etymology: orig. var. of OF, to distinguish the sense