[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/off.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / off [← O](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/O/) # off «off» in Mova's school dictionary: **away from a surface or from a place: take it off the table** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### 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 →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m1) 2) Off means not working or not switched on: the TV is off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m2) 3) Off means away for a time, not at work or school: a day off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m3) 4) Off can mean taken away from a price: 2 dollars off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m4) 5) Off can mean gone bad: the milk is off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m5) 6) Off means cancelled: the match is off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m6) 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 →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m7) 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 →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m8) 9) (formal) The exam voice says «deducted», «discounted», «removed from», «a reduction of», «absent», «discontinued». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m9) 10) Off can also mean setting out quickly or starting to move, as in "Off he went on a run." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#m10) ### sense in the 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 - I take one apple off the table. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x1) - 3 birds flew off the fence. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x2) - Kim took 2 books off the shelf of 9. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x3) - Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x4) - Take your muddy boots off at the door. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x5) - The jacket was 10 dollars off in the sale. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x6) - Dad has a day off today. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x7) - This milk smells off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x8) - right, i'm off, see ya at 5 [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x9) - Piss off, they're mine! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x10) - The match is off because of the rain. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x11) - A reduction of 10 dollars is applied to an item priced at 40 dollars; state the price payable. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x12) - Off he started on a run. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/#x13) ### 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 - [Inflation means prices rise over time, so the same pound buys less; if pay rises more slowly, families are worse off.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/9-when-money-is-tight/11/) - [Parents get time off work, called maternity and paternity leave, to look after a new baby.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/19-a-new-baby-in-the-house/5/) - [Paternity leave is time off work for a new father; in Britain it is usually two weeks.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/19-a-new-baby-in-the-house/14/) - [She is seeing someone to talk to and is off work for a while.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low/5/) - [Grown-ups worry about it too, and sometimes they switch it off to protect you and themselves.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/32-bad-news-protests-and-helping-others/1/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «off» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/off/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.