Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OF-FEND', v.i.

1. To transgress the moral or divine law; to sin; to commit a crime. Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all. James ii. In many things we all offend. James iii.
2. To cause dislike or anger. I shall offend, either to detain or to give it. Shak. But this phrase is really elliptical, some person being understood.
3. To be scandalized; to be stumbled. If meat make my brother to offend – 1 Cor. viii. To offend against, to act injuriously or unjustly. Nor yet against Cesar have I offended any thing at all. Acts xxv. #2. To transgress; to violate; as, to offend against the laws of society, the laws of God, or the rules of civility or propriety. We have offended against the Lord already. 2 Chron. xxviii.

OF-FEND', v.t. [L. offendo; ob and fendo, (obs.) to strike, hit, meet, or thrust against. We use the simple verb in fend, to fend off, to fence.]

1. To attack; to assail. [Not used.] Sidney.
2. To displease; to make angry; to affront. It expresses rather less than make angry, and without any modifying word, it is nearly synonymous with displease. We are offended by rudeness, incivility and harsh language. Children offend their parents by disobedience, and parents offend their children by unreasonable austerity or restraint. The emperor was grievously offended with them who had kept such negligent watch. Knolles. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. Prov xviii.
3. To shock; to wound; as, to offend the conscience. Law.
4. To pain; to annoy; to injure; as, a strong light offends weak eyes.
5. To transgress; to violate; as, to offend the laws. But we generally use the intransitive verb in this sense, with against; to offend against the law.
6. To disturb, annoy, or cause to fall or stumble. Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. Ps. cxix.
7. To draw to evil, or hinder in obedience; to cause to sin or neglect duty. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out – if thy right hand offend thee, cut it out. Matth. v.

OF-FEND'ED, pp.

Displeased.

OF-FEND'ER, n.

One that offends; one that violates any law, divine or human; a criminal; a trespasser; a transgressor; one that does an injury. The man who robs, steals, or commits an assault, is an offender.

OF-FEND'ING, ppr.

Displeasing; making angry; causing to stumble; committing sin.

OF-FEND'RESS, n.

A female that offends. Shak.

OF-FENSE', n. [offens'; L. offensus, offensa; It. offesa; Sp. ofensa; Fr. offence.]

1. Displeasure; anger, or moderate anger. He gave them just cause of offense. He took offense.
2. Scandal; cause of stumbling. Christ is called a stone of stumbling and rock of offense to both the houses of Israel. Ps. viii.
3. Any transgression of law, divine or human; a crime; sin; act of wickedness or omission of duty. Christ was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification. Rom. iv.
4. An injury. I have given my opinion against the authority of two great men, but I hope without offense to their memories. Dryden.
5. Attack; assault; as, a weapon of offense. Richardson.
6. Impediment. Matth. xvi.

OF-FENSE-FUL, a. [offens'ful.]

Giving displeasure; injurious. [Not used.] Shak.

OF-FENSE-LESS, a. offens'less.

Unoffending; innocent; inoffensive. Milton.

OF-FENS'IVE, a. [Fr. offensif; It. offensivo; Sp. ofensivo.]

1. Causing displeasure or some degree of anger; displeasing. All sin is offensive to God. Rude behavior is offensive to men. Good breeding forbids us to use offensive words.
2. Disgusting; giving pain or unpleasant sensations; disagreeable; as, an offensive taste or smell; an offensive sight. Discordant sounds are offensive to the ear.
3. Injurious. It is an excellent opener for the liver, but offensive to the stomach. Bacon.
4. Assailant; used in attack; opposed to defensive; as, an offensive weapon or engine. Wilkins.
5. Assailant; invading; making the first attack; opposed to defensive; as, an offensive war. A league offensive and defensive, is one that requires both or all parties to make war together against a nation, and each party to defend the other in case of being attacked.

OF-FENS'IVE, n.

The part of attacking; as, to act on the offensive.

OF-FENS'IVE-LY, adv.

1. In a manner to give displeasure; as, language offensively harsh or sarcastic.
2. Injuriously; mischievously. Hooker.
3. By way of invasion or first attack. The enemy was not in a condition to act offensively.
4. Unpleasantly to the senses.

OF-FENS'IVE-NESS, n.

1. The quality that offends or displeases; as, the offensiveness of rude language or behavior.
2. Injuriousness; mischief.
3. Cause of disgust; the quality that gives pain to the senses, or unpleasant sensations; as, the offensiveness of smell or taste.

OF'FER, n. [Fr. offre.]

1. A proposal to be accepted or rejected; presentation to choice. The prince made liberal offers, but they were rejected. When offers are disdained, and love deny'd. Pope.
2. First advance. Force compels this offer. Shak.
3. The act of bidding a price, or the sum bid. By an offer we manifest a desire to buy. When the seller declines accepting, he manifests that he thinks the offer not sufficient.
4. Attempt; endeavor; essay. It is in the power of every one to make some essay, some offer and attempt. [Nearly obsolete.] South.

OF'FER, v.i.

1. To present itself; to be at hand. The occasion offers, and the youth complies. Dryden.
2. To present verbally; to declare a willingness. He offered to accompany his brother.
3. To make an attempt. We came close to the shore and offered to land. Bacon. Formerly with at. I will not offer at that I can not master. [Obs.] Bacon.

OF'FER, v.t. [L. offero; ob and fero, to bring.]

1. Literally, to bring to or before; hence, to present for acceptance or rejection; to exhibit something that may be taken or received or not. He offered me a sum of money. He offered me his umbrella to defend me from the rain. The heathen women under the Mogul, offer themselves to the flames at the death of their husbands. Collier.
2. To present in words; to proffer; to make a proposal to. I offer these three things. 2 Sam. xxiv.
3. To present, as an act of worship; to immolate; to sacrifice; often with up. Thou shalt offer every day a bullock as a sin-offering for atonement. Exod. xxix. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning. Ibm. A holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices. 1 Pet. ii.
4. To present in prayer or devotion. Offer to God thanksgiving. Ps l.
5. To bid, as a price, reward or wages; as, to offer ten eagles for a ring; to offer a hundred dollars a year for a laborer; to offer a salary.
6. To present to the view or to the mind; as, ideas which sense or reflection offers to the mind. Locke. To offer violence, to assault; to attack or commence attack.

OF'FER-A-BLE, a.

That may be offered. Mountague.

OF'FER-ED, pp.

Presented for acceptance or rejection; presented in worship or devotion; immolated; bid; presented to the eye or the mind.

OF'FER-ER, n.

One that offers; one that sacrifices or dedicates in worship. Chapman. Booker.

OF'FER-ING, n.

That which is presented in divine service, an animal or a portion of bread or corn, or of gold and silver, or other valuable articles, presented to God as an atonement for sin, or as a return of thanks for his favors, or for other religious purpose; a sacrifice; an oblation. In the Mosaic economy there were burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, peace-offerings, trespass-offerings, thank-offerings, wave-offerings, and wood-offerings. Pagan nations also present offerings to their deities. Christ by the offering of himself has superseded the use of all other offerings, having made atonement for all men. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. Isa. liii.

OF'FER-ING, ppr.

Presenting; proposing; sacrificing; bidding; presenting to the eye or mind.

OF'FER-TO-RY, n. [Fr. offertoire.]

1. The act of offering, or the thing offered. [Little used.] Bacon. Fell.
2. Offertory was properly an anthem chanted or a voluntary played on the organ during the offering and a part of the mass, in the Catholic church; but since the Reformation it denotes certain sentences in the communion-office, read while the alms are collecting. Todd. Cyc.
3. Anciently, the linen on which the offering was laid. Cyc.

OF'FER-TURE, n.

Offer; proposal. [Not used.] K. Charles.

OFF'-HAND, adv. [off and hand.]

Readily; with ease; without hesitation or previous practice.

OF'FICE, n. [Fr. from L. officium; ob and facio, to make or do.]

1. A particular duty, charge or trust conferred by public authority and for a public purpose; an employment undertaken by commission or authority from government or those who administer it. Thus we speak of the office of secretary of state, of treasurer, of a judge, of a sherif, of a justice of the peace, &c. Offices are civil, judicial, ministerial, executive, legislative, political, municipal, diplomatic, military, ecclesiastical, &c.
2. A duty, charge or trust of a sacred nature, conferred by God himself; as, the office of priest, in the Old Testament, and that of the apostles, in the New Testament. Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office. Rom. xi.
3. Duty or employment of a private nature; as, the office of a midwife. Exod. i.
4. That which is performed, intended or assigned to be done by a particular thing, or that which any thing is fitted to perform; answering to duty in intelligent beings. We enjoy health when the several organs of the body perform their respective offices. In this experiment, the several intervals of the teeth of the comb do the office of so many prisms. Newton.
5. Business; particular employment. Hesperus, whose office is to bring / Twilight upon the earth. Milton.
6. Act of good or ill voluntarily tendered; usually in a good sense; as, kind offices; offices of pity; pious offices.
7. Act of worship. Shak.
8. Formulary of devotion. The Lord's prayer, the ten commandments, and the creed, is a very good office for children if they are not fitted for more regular offices. Taylor.
9. A house or apartment in which public officers and others transact business; as, the register's office; a lawyer's office.
10. In architecture, an apartment appropriated for the necessary business or occasions of a palace or nobleman's house. The word is used also for a building pertaining to a farm. Encyc. Cyc.
11. In the canon law, a benefice which has no jurisdiction annexed to it. Encyc.
12. The person or persons intrusted with particular duties of a public nature. This office [of quarter-master-general] not to have the disposal of public money, except small occasional sums. Marshall.