of [əv, before consonants also ə; 'əv, 'äv] -prep
- used as a function word to indicate a point of reckoning
- used as a function word to indicate origin or derivation
- used as a function word to indicate the cause, motive, or reason
- by
- on the part of
- occurring in
- a fish of the western Atlantic
- used as a function word to indicate the component material, parts, or elements or the contents
- used as a function word to indicate the whole that includes the part denoted by the preceding word
- used as a function word to indicate a whole or quantity from which a part is removed or expended
- relating to : about
- in respect to
- used as a function word to indicate belonging or a possessive relationship
- used as a function word to indicate relationship between a result determined by a function or operation and a basic entity (as an independent variable)
- the product of two numbers
- used as a function word to indicate something from which a person or thing is delivered or with respect to which someone or something is made destitute
- robbed of all their belongings
- used as a function word to indicate a particular example belonging to the class denoted by the preceding noun
- used as a function word to indicate apposition
- used as a function word to indicate the object of an action denoted or implied by the preceding noun
- used as a function word to indicate the application of a verb or of an adjective
- used as a function word to indicate a characteristic or distinctive quality or possession
- used as a function word to indicate the position in time of an action or occurrence
- before
- on
- a plague of all cowards -- Shak.
- have used in place of the contraction 've often in representations of uneducated speech
- I could of beat them easy -- Ring Lardner
OF -abbr
- outfield
ofay ['ō-,fā, ō-'] -n
- a white person
off ['ȯf] -adv
- from a place or position
- away from land
- at a distance in space or time
- from a course : aside
- away from the wind
- into an unconscious state
- so as to be separated from support
- rolled to the edge of the table and off
or close contact - so as to be divided
- surface marked off into squares
- to a state of discontinuance or suspension
- used as an intensifier
- in absence from or suspension of regular work or service
- offstage
- used as a function word to indicate physical separation or distance from a position of rest, attachment, or union
- a shop just off the main street
- to seaward of
- from the possession or charge of
- had his wallet stolen off him
- used as a function word to indicate the object of an action
- borrowed a dollar off him
- used as a function word to indicate the suspension of an occupation or activity
- below the usual standard or level of
- seaward
- right
- more removed or distant
- the off side of the building
- started on the way
- not taking place or staying in effect : canceled
- not operating
- not placed so as to permit operation
- not corresponding to fact : incorrect
- poor, subnormal
- not entirely sane : eccentric
- remote, slight
- spent off duty
- marked by a periodic decline in activity or business
- traveled in the off season for lower prices
- off-color
- inferior
- affected with putrefaction
- down
- circumstanced
- to go away : depart used chiefly as an imperative
- kill, murder
- office; officer; official
of·fal ['ȯ-fəl, 'ä-] -n
- : the waste or by-product of a process: as
- trimmings of a hide
- the by-products of milling used esp. for stock feeds
- the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal removed in dressing : variety meat
- rubbish
off and on -adv
- with periodic cessation : intermittently
- rained off and on all day
off·beat ['ȯf-,bēt] -n
- an unaccented beat or portion of a beat in a musical measure
- eccentric, unconventional
offbrand ['ȯf-,brand] -adj
- not identified with a major brand name
off Broadway -n, adj or adv
- a part of the New York professional theater stressing fundamental and artistic values and formerly engaging in experimentation
off·cast ['ȯf-,kast] -adj, n
- cast off : discarded
offcol·or ['ȯf-'kə-lər] -adj
- not having the right or standard color
- being out of sorts
- of doubtful propriety : dubious
- verging on the indecent
off·cut ['ȯf-,kət] -n
- something that is cut off (as a waste piece of lumber)
of·fend [ə-'fend] -vb, n
- to transgress the moral or divine law : sin
- if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offend ing soul alive -- Shak.
- to violate a law or rule : do wrong
- to cause difficulty, discomfort, or injury
- took off his shoe and removed the offend ing pebble
- to cause dislike, anger, or vexation
- thoughtless words that offend needlessly
- violate, transgress
- to cause pain to : hurt
- to cause to sin or fall
- to cause to feel vexation or resentment usu. by violation of what is proper or fitting
- was offend ed by their language
of·fense [ə-'fen(t)s, esp for 3 'ä-,fen(t)s, 'ȯ-] -n, adj
- an act of stumbling
- a cause or occasion of sin : stumbling block
- something that outrages the moral or physical senses
- the act of attacking : assault
- the means or method of attacking or of attempting to score
- the offensive team or members of a team playing offensive positions
- scoring ability
- the act of displeasing or affronting
- the state of being insulted or morally outraged
- takes offense at the slightest criticism
- a breach of a moral or social code : sin, misdeed
- an infraction of law
- misdemeanor
of·fen·sive [ə-'fen(t)-siv, esp for 1 'ä-,fen(t)-, 'ȯ-] -adj, adv, n
- making attack : aggressive
- of, relating to, or designed for attack
- of or relating to an attempt to score in a game or contest
- of or relating to a team in possession of the ball or puck
- giving painful or unpleasant sensations : nauseous, obnoxious
- causing displeasure or resentment
offensive -n
- the act of an attacking party
- attack
of·fer ['ȯ-fər, 'ä-] -vb
- to present as an act of worship or devotion : sacrifice
- to utter (as a prayer) in devotion
- to present for acceptance or rejection : tender
- to present in order to satisfy a requirement
- candidates for degrees may offer French as one of their foreign languages
- propose, suggest
- offer a solution to a problem
- to declare one's readiness or willingness
- to try or begin to exert : put up
- offer ed stubborn resistance
- threaten
- offer ed to strike him with his cane
- to make available : afford
- to place (merchandise) on sale
- to present in performance or exhibition
- to propose as payment : bid
- to present something as an act of worship or devotion : sacrifice
- to make an attempt
- to present itself
- to make a proposal (as of marriage)
offer -n
- a presenting of something for acceptance
- considering job offer s from several firms
- an undertaking to do an act or give something on condition that the party to whom the proposal is made do some specified act or make a return promise
- offering
- a price named by one proposing to buy : bid
- attempt, try
- an action or movement indicating a purpose or intention
of·fer·ing ['ȯ-f(ə-)riŋ, 'ä-] -n
- the act of one who offers
- something offered
- a sacrifice ceremonially offered as a part of worship
- a contribution to the support of a church
- something offered for sale or patronage
- latest offering s of the leading novelists
- a course of instruction or study
of·fer·to·ry ['ȯ-fə(r)-,tȯr-ē, 'ä-] -n
- the eucharistic offering of bread and wine to God before they are consecrated
- a verse from a Psalm said or sung at the beginning of the offertory
- the period of collection and presentation of the offerings of the congregation at public worship
- a musical composition played or sung during an offertory
offgas·sing ['ȯf-,ga-siŋ] -n
- the emission of esp. noxious gases (as from a building material)
off·hand ['ȯf-'hand, -,hand] -adv
- without premeditation or preparation : extempore
- couldn't give the figures offhand
offhand -adj
- casual, informal
- a relaxed, offhand manner
- done or made offhand
off·hand·ed [-'han-dəd, -,han-] -adj, adv, n
- offhand
offhour ['ȯf-,au̇(-ə)r] -n
- a period of time other than a rush hour
- a period of time other than regular business hours
of·fice ['ä-fəs, 'ȯ-] -n
- a special duty, charge, or position conferred by an exercise of governmental authority and for a public purpose : a position of authority to exercise a public function and to receive whatever emoluments may belong to it
- a position of responsibility or some degree of executive authority
- a prescribed form or service of worship
- divine office
- a religious or social ceremonial observance : rite
- something that one ought to do or must do : an assigned or assumed duty, task, or role
- the proper or customary action of something : function
- something done for another : service
- : a place where a particular kind of business is transacted or a service is supplied: as
- a place in which the functions of a public officer are performed
- the directing headquarters of an enterprise or organization
- the place in which a professional person conducts business
- the apartments, attached buildings, or outhouses in which the activities attached to the service of a house are carried on
- a major administrative unit in some governments
- a subdivision of some government departments
office boy -n
- a boy or man employed for odd jobs in a business office
of·fice·hold·er [-,hōl-dər] -n
- one holding a public office
of·fi·cer ['ä-fə-sər, 'ȯ-] -n
- agent
- one charged with police duties
- one who holds an office of trust, authority, or command
- the officer s of the bank
- one who holds a position of authority or command in the armed forces
- commissioned officer
- the master or any of the mates of a merchant or passenger ship
officer -vt
- to furnish with officers
- to command or direct as an officer
officer of arms
- any of the officers (as king of arms, herald, or pursuivant) of a monarch or government responsible for devising and granting armorial bearings
of·fi·cial [ə-'fi-shəl also ō-] -n
- one who holds or is invested with an office : officer
- one who administers the rules of a game or sport esp. as a referee or umpire
official [-'fi-sh(ə-)lē] -adj, adv
- of or relating to an office, position, or trust
- holding an office
- authoritative, authorized
- prescribed or recognized as authorized
- described by the U.S. Pharmacopeia or the National Formulary
- befitting or characteristic of a person in office
- extended an official greeting
of·fi·cial·dom [-'fi-shəl-dəm] -n
- officials as a class
of·fi·cial·ese [-,fi-shə-'lēz, -'lēs] -n
- the characteristic language of official statements : wordy, pompous, or obscure language
of·fi·cial·ism [-'fi-shə-,li-zəm] -n
- lack of flexibility and initiative combined with excessive adherence to regulations in the behavior of usu. government officials
of·fi·ci·ant [ə-'fi-shē-ənt] -n
- one (as a priest) that officiates at a religious rite
of·fi·ci·ary [ə-'fi-shē-,er-ē, ȯ-, ä-] -n
- officer, official
- a body of officers or officials
officiary -adj
- connected with, derived from, or having a title or rank by virtue of holding an office
of·fi·ci·ate [ə-'fi-shē-,āt] -vb, n
- to perform a ceremony, function, or duty
- to act in an official capacity : act as an official (as at a sports contest)
- to carry out (an official duty or function)
- to serve as a leader or celebrant of (a ceremony)
- to administer the rules of (a game or sport) esp. as a referee or umpire
of·fi·ci·nal [ə-'fi-sə-nᵊl, ȯ-, ä-; ,ȯ-fə-'sī-nᵊl, ,ä-] -adj
- medicinal
- a monograph on officinal flora
of·fi·cious [ə-'fi-shəs] -adj, adv, n
- kind, obliging
- dutiful
- volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome
- informal, unofficial
off·ing ['ȯ-fiŋ, 'ä-] -n
- the part of the deep sea seen from the shore
- the near or foreseeable future
off·ish ['ȯ-fish] -adj, n
- standoffish
offkey ['ȯf-'kē] -adj or adv
- varying in pitch from the proper tone of a melody
- irregular, anomalous
offkil·ter [-'kil-tər] -adj
- not in perfect balance : a bit askew
- eccentric, unconventional
offla·bel ['ȯf-,lā-bəl] -adj
- of, relating to, or being a drug used to treat a condition for which it has not been officially approved
offlim·its ['ȯf-'li-məts] -adj
- not to be entered or patronized by a designated class (as military personnel)
- not to be interfered with, considered, or spoken of
- the subject of sex was offlimits in her family
offline [-'līn] -adj, adv
- not connected to or served by a system and esp. a computer or telecommunications system
- done independently of such a system
offload [(,)ȯf-'lōd, 'ȯf-,] -vb
- unload
off of -prep
- off
offoffBroadway -n, adj or adv
- an avant-garde theatrical movement in New York
offpeak ['ȯf-'pēk] -adj
- not being in the period of maximum use or business : not peak
- telephone rates during offpeak hours
offprice ['ȯf-'prīs] -adj
- of, relating to, selling, or being discounted merchandise
off·print ['ȯf-,print] -n, vt
- a separately printed excerpt (as a magazine article)
offput·ting [-,pu̇-tiŋ] -adj, adv
- that puts one off : repellent, disconcerting
offramp [-,ramp] -n
- a ramp by which one leaves a limited-access highway
offroad ['ȯf-'rōd] -adj
- of, relating to, done with, or being a vehicle designed esp. to operate away from public roads
offroad·er [-'rō-dər] -n
- a driver of an off-road vehicle
- an off-road vehicle
off·scour·ing [-,skau̇(-ə)r-iŋ] -n
- someone rejected by society : outcast
- something that is scoured off : refuse
off·screen ['ȯf-'skrēn] -adv or adj
- out of sight of the motion picture or television viewer
- in private life
offsea·son ['ȯf-,sē-zᵊn] -n
- a time of suspended or reduced activity
- the time during which an athlete is not training or competing
off·set ['ȯf-,set] -n, adj or adv
- outset, start
- cessation
- a short prostrate lateral shoot arising from the base of a plant
- a small bulb arising from the base of another bulb
- a lateral or collateral branch (as of a family or race) : offshoot
- a spur from a range of hills
- a horizontal ledge on the face of a wall formed by a diminution of its thickness above
- displacement
- an abrupt change in the dimension or profile of an object or the part set off by such change
- something that sets off to advantage or embellishes something else : foil
- an abrupt bend in an object by which one part is turned aside out of line
- something that serves to counterbalance or to compensate for something else
- either of two balancing ledger items
- unintentional transfer of ink (as from a freshly printed sheet)
- a printing process in which an inked impression from a plate is first made on a rubber-blanketed cylinder and then transferred to the paper being printed
- to place over against something : balance
- to serve as a counterbalance for : compensate
- his speed offset his opponent's greater weight
- to form an offset in
- to become marked by offset
off·shoot ['ȯf-,shüt] -n
- a collateral or derived branch, descendant, or member : outgrowth
- a lateral branch (as of a mountain range)
- a branch of a main stem esp. of a plant
off·shore ['ȯf-'shȯr] -adv
- from the shore : seaward
- at a distance from the shore
- outside the country : abroad
- coming or moving away from the shore toward the water
- situated off the shore but within waters under a country's control
- distant from the shore
- situated or operating in a foreign country
- off the shore of
off·side ['ȯf-'sīd] -adv or adj
- illegally in advance of the ball or puck
offsite [-'sīt] -adj or adv
- not located or occurring at the site of a particular activity
offspeed [-'spēd] -adj
- being slower than usual or expected
- throwing offspeed pitches
off·spring ['ȯf-,spriŋ] -n
- the product of the reproductive processes of an animal or plant : young, progeny
- child
- product, result
- scholarly manuscripts-the labored offspring s of PhDs -- Donna Martin
- offshoot
off·stage ['ȯf-'stāj, -,stāj] -adv or adj
- on a part of the stage not visible to the audience
- in private life
- known offstage as a kindly person
- behind the scenes : out of the public view
- much of the important work of the conference was done offstage
offthebooks -adj, adv
- not reported or recorded
- offthebooks covert operations
offthecuff -adj, adv
- not prepared in advance : spontaneous, informal
offthepeg -adj
- ready-made
offtherack -adj
- ready-made
offtherecord -adj
- given or made in confidence and not for publication
offtheshelf -adj
- available as a stock item : not specially designed or custom-made
offthewall -adj
- highly unusual : bizarre
- an offthewall sense of humor
off·track ['ȯf-'trak] -adv or adj
- away from a racetrack
offwhite ['ȯf-'hwīt, -'wīt] -n
- a yellowish or grayish white
off year -n
- a year in which no major election is held
- a year of diminished activity or production
- an off year for auto sales
oft ['ȯft] -adv
- often
of·ten ['ȯ-fən, ÷'ȯf-tən] -adv
- many times : frequently
of·ten·times [-,tīmz] -adv
- often, repeatedly