off / ôf; äf/ • adv. 1. away from the place in question; to or at a distance: the man ran off she dashed off to her room we must be off now. ∎  away from the main route: turning off for Ripon.2. so as to be removed or separated: he whipped off his coat a section of the runway had been cordoned off. ∎  absent; away from work: take a day off he is off on sick leave.3. starting a journey or race; leaving: the gunmen made off on foot they're off!4. so as to bring to an end or be discontinued: the Christmas party rounded off a hugely successful year she broke off her reading to look at her husband. ∎  canceled: tell them the wedding's off.5. (of an electrical appliance or power supply) not functioning or so as to cease to function: switch the TV off the electricity was off for four days.• prep. 1. moving away and often down from: he rolled off the bed the coat slipped off his arms trying to get us off the stage.2. situated or leading in a direction away from (a main route or intersection): single wires leading off the main lines a backstreet off Olympic Boulevard. ∎  out at sea from (a place on the coast): anchoring off Blue Bay six miles off Dunkirk.3. so as to be removed or separated from: threatening to tear it off its hinges they are knocking $2,000 off the price | fig. it's a huge burden off my shoulders. ∎  absent from: I took a couple of days off work. ∎ inf. abstaining from: he managed to stay off alcohol.• adj. 1. characterized by someone performing or feeling worse than usual; unsatisfactory or inadequate: even the greatest athletes have off days.2. (of food) no longer fresh: the fish was a bit off.3. located on the side of a vehicle that is normally furthest from the curb; offside. Compare with near (sense 4).4. Brit., inf. unwell: I felt decidedly off.• n. (also off side) Cricket the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) toward which the batsman's feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball. The opposite of leg.• v. inf. [tr.] kill; murder: she might off a cop, but she wouldn't shoot her boyfriend.PHRASES: off and on intermittently; now and then.