Off \Off\, adv. [OE. of, orig. the same word as R. of, prep.,
AS. of, adv. & prep. [root]194. See Of.]
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. --Bp.
Sanderson.
From off, off from; off. ``A live coal . . . taken with the
tongs from off the altar.'' --Is. vi. 6.
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 mimic or personate.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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