off
part of speech
preposition, adverb; adjective (the light is off; the milk is off)
meaning for a pupil
1) Off means away from a surface or from a place: take it off the table. tree →
2) Off means not working or not switched on: the TV is off. tree →
3) Off means away for a time, not at work or school: a day off. tree →
4) Off can mean taken away from a price: 2 dollars off. tree →
5) Off can mean gone bad: the milk is off. tree →
6) Off means cancelled: the match is off. tree →
7) (casual) «I'm off» means I'm leaving; «off sick» means at home ill; «a bit off» (UK, Australia) means rude or unfair; «off your head» means silly or crazy. tree →
8) (rough) «Push off!», «buzz off!», «clear off!», «bugger off» (rude, UK, Australia), «piss off» (rude) all mean go away; «off» in «sod off» is rude too. tree →
9) (formal) The exam voice says «deducted», «discounted», «removed from», «a reduction of», «absent», «discontinued». tree →
10) Off can also mean setting out quickly or starting to move, as in "Off he went on a run." tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In "cut off" or "left off," off often means cut away or stopped, as in cutting off a hand or God ending His talk with Abraham. In the primary lessons: taking things away from the table («I take one apple off the table» = subtract); «2 dollars off» = a lower price, subtract; «20% off» takes a part off the price; in everyday life «turn off the light», «get off the bus», «take off your shoes», «day off», «off sick»; in safety «keep off the grass», «switch off before you unplug»; in casual talk «I'm off», «that's a bit off»; in rough talk «push off», «piss off» (rude: go away); in the exam voice «a reduction of», «deducted», «discounted by»
examples
- And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. (Torah GEN.17.22, JPS 1917) tree →
- then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall have no pity. (Torah DEU.25.12, JPS 1917) tree →
- And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. (Torah EXO.2.4, JPS 1917) tree →
- Or where were the upright cut off? (Writings JOB.4.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD? (Writings PSA.10.1, JPS 1917) tree →
- Arouse Thyself, cast not off for ever. (Writings PSA.44.24, JPS 1917) tree →
- I take one apple off the table. tree →
- 3 birds flew off the fence. tree →
- Kim took 2 books off the shelf of 9. tree →
- Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. tree →
- Take your muddy boots off at the door. tree →
- The jacket was 10 dollars off in the sale. tree →
- Dad has a day off today. tree →
- This milk smells off. tree →
- right, i'm off, see ya at 5 tree →
- Piss off, they're mine! tree →
- The match is off because of the rain. tree →
- A reduction of 10 dollars is applied to an item priced at 40 dollars; state the price payable. tree →
- Off he started on a run. tree →
note
Taking off = the count goes down: subtract; «a reduction of» and «deducted» in an exam do the same. «10 dollars off» lowers the price: subtract. Trap: «off sick», «the match is off» and «I'm off» are not about numbers. «piss off» and «bugger off» are rude ways to say go away: the speaker is angry or joking, and nothing is counted. Spelling: two f's, said with a short o. Do not mix «off» (away) with «of» (part of). Opposite: on.
In the corpora
- And the waters returned from off the earth continually; and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased.
- And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.
- So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city.
- And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
- And the LORD went His way, as soon as He had left off speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «off» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.