Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OFF, adv. [auf.]

1. From, noting distance. The house is a mile off.
2. From, with the action of removing or separating; as, to take off the hat or cloke. So we say, to cut off, to pare off, to clip off, to peel off, to tear off, to march off, to fly off.
3. From, noting separation; as, the match is off.
4. From, noting departure, abatement, remission or a leaving. The fever goes off; the pain goes off.
5. In painting, it denotes projection or relief. This comes off well and excellent. Shak.
6. From; away; not toward; as, to look off; opposed to on or toward.
7. On the opposite side of a question. The questions no way touch upon puritanism, either off or on. Sanderson. Off hand, without study or preparation. She plays a tune off hand. He speaks fluently off hand. Off and on, at one time applying and engaged, then absent or remiss. To be off, in colloquial language, to depart or to recede from an agreement or design. To come off, to escape, or to fare in the event. To get off, to alight; to come down. #2. To make escape. To go off, to depart; to desert. #2. To take fire; to be discharged; as a gun. Well off, ill off, badly off, having good or ill success.