OFF, a. auf. Most distant; as the off horse in a team.

1. Not on; as, to be off one's legs. He was not off the bed the whole day.
2. Distant from; as, about two miles off this town. [Not now used.] Addison.

Most distant; as, the off horse in a team.

1. From, noting distance. The house is a mile off.
2. From, with the action of removing or separating; as, to take off the hat or cloke. So we say, to cut off, to pare off, to clip off, to peel off, to tear off, to march off, to fly off.
3. From, noting separation; as, the match is off.
4. From, noting departure, abatement, remission or a leaving. The fever goes off; the pain goes off.
5. In painting, it denotes projection or relief. This comes off well and excellent. Shak.
6. From; away; not toward; as, to look off; opposed to on or toward.
7. On the opposite side of a question. The questions no way touch upon puritanism, either off or on. Sanderson. Off hand, without study or preparation. She plays a tune off hand. He speaks fluently off hand. Off and on, at one time applying and engaged, then absent or remiss. To be off, in colloquial language, to depart or to recede from an agreement or design. To come off, to escape, or to fare in the event. To get off, to alight; to come down. #2. To make escape. To go off, to depart; to desert. #2. To take fire; to be discharged; as a gun. Well off, ill off, badly off, having good or ill success.

As an exclamation, is a command to depart, either with or without contempt or abhorrence.

1. Denoting distance or separation; as, the house is a mile off.
2. Away; begone; -- a command to depart.
3. Not on; away from; as, to be off one's legs or off the bed; two miles off the shore.
   
   
   Addison.

   Off hand. See Offhand. -- Off side (Football), out of play; -- said when a player has got in front of the ball in a scrimmage, or when the ball has been last touched by one of his own side behind him. -- To be off color, to be of a wrong color. -- To be off one's food, to have no appetite. (Colloq.)

4. On the farther side; most distant; on the side of an animal or a team farthest from the driver when he is on foot; in the United States, the right side; as, the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse or ox; the off leg.
5. The side of the field that is on the right of the wicket keeper.
6. 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.
7. Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from his post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent; as, he took an off day for fishing: an off year in politics.
   
   
   "In the off season." Thackeray.

   Off side. (a) The right hand side in driving; the farther side. See Gee. (b) (Cricket) See Off, n.

8. 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.
9. Denoting a different direction; not on or towards: away; as, to look off.
10. 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. -- To tell off (Mil.), to divide and practice a regiment or company in the several formations, preparatory to marching to the general parade for field exercises. Farrow. -- To be well off, to be in good condition. -- To be ill off, To be badly off, to be in poor condition.