Off \Off\ ([o^]f; 115), adv. [OE. of, orig. the same word as R.
   of, prep., AS. of, adv. & prep. [root]194. See {Of}.]
   In a general sense, denoting from or away from; as:
   
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   1. Denoting distance or separation; as, the house is a mile
      off.
      
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   2. Denoting the action of removing or separating; separation;
      as, to take off the hat or cloak; to cut off, to pare off,
      to clip off, to peel off, to tear off, to march off, to
      fly off, and the like.
      
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   3. Denoting a leaving, abandonment, departure, abatement,
      interruption, or remission; as, the fever goes off; the
      pain goes off; the game is off; all bets are off.
      
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   4. Denoting a different direction; not on or towards: away;
      as, to look off.
      
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   5. Denoting opposition or negation. [Obs.]
      
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            The questions no way touch upon puritanism, either
            off or on.                            --Bp.
                                                  Sanderson.
      
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   {From off}, off from; off. "A live coal . . . taken with the
      tongs from off the altar." --Is. vi. 6.

   {Off and on}.
      (a) Not constantly; not regularly; now and then;
          occasionally.
      (b) (Naut.) On different tacks, now toward, and now away
          from, the land.

   {To be off}.
      (a) To depart; to escape; as, he was off without a
          moment's warning.
      (b) To be abandoned, as an agreement or purpose; as, the
          bet was declared to be off. [Colloq.]

   {To come off}, {To cut off}, {To fall off}, {To go off}, etc.
      See under {Come}, {Cut}, {Fall}, {Go}, etc.

   {To get off}.
      (a) To utter; to discharge; as, to get off a joke.
      (b) To go away; to escape; as, to get off easily from a
          trial. [Colloq.]

   {To take off} {To do a take-off on}, {To take off}, to mimic,
      lampoon, or impersonate.

   {To tell off}
      (a) (Mil.), to divide and practice a regiment or company
          in the several formations, preparatory to marching to
          the general parade for field exercises. --Farrow.
      (b) to rebuke (a person) for an improper action; to scold;
          to reprimand.

   {To be well off}, to be in good condition.

   {To be ill off}, {To be badly off}, to be in poor condition.
      
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Cut \Cut\ (k[u^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cut}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Cutting}.] [OE. cutten, kitten, ketten; prob. of Celtic
   origin; cf. W. cwtau to shorten, curtail, dock, cwta
   bobtailed, cwt tail, skirt, Gael. cutaich to shorten,
   curtail, dock, cutach short, docked, cut a bobtail, piece,
   Ir. cut a short tail, cutach bobtailed. Cf. {Coot}.]
   1. To separate the parts of with, or as with, a sharp
      instrument; to make an incision in; to gash; to sever; to
      divide.
      
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            You must cut this flesh from off his breast. --Shak.
      
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            Before the whistling winds the vessels fly,
            With rapid swiftness cut the liquid way. --Pope.
      
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   2. To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering;
      to hew; to mow or reap.
      
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            Thy servants can skill to cut timer.  --2. Chron.
                                                  ii. 8
      
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   3. To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as,
      to cut the hair; to cut the nails.
      
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   4. To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse.
      
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   5. To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing,
      etc.; to carve; to hew out.
      
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            Why should a man. whose blood is warm within,
            Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster? --Shak.
      
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            Loopholes cut through thickest shade. --Milton.
      
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   6. To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce;
      to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick.
      
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            The man was cut to the heart.         --Addison.
      
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   7. To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right
      angles.
      
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   8. To refuse to recognize; to ignore; as, to cut a person in
      the street; to cut one's acquaintance. [Colloq.]
      
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   9. To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a
      recitation. etc. [Colloq.]
      
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            An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the
            shop whenever he can do so with impunity. --Thomas
                                                  Hamilton.
      
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   10. (Cricket) To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a
       chopping movement of the bat.
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   11. (Billiards, etc.) To drive (an object ball) to either
       side by hitting it fine on the other side with the cue
       ball or another object ball.
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   12. (Lawn Tennis, etc.) To strike (a ball) with the racket
       inclined or struck across the ball so as to put a certain
       spin on the ball.
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   13. (Croquet) To drive (a ball) to one side by hitting with
       another ball.
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   {To cut a caper}. See under {Caper}.

   {To cut the cards}, to divide a pack of cards into portions,
      in order to determine the deal or the trump, or to change
      the cards to be dealt.

   {To cut both ways}, to have effects both advantageous and
      disadvantageous.

   {To cut corners}, to deliberately do an incomplete or
      imperfect job in order to save time or money.

   {To cut a dash} or {To cut a figure}, to make a display of
      oneself; to give a conspicuous impression. [Colloq.]

   {To cut down}.
       (a) To sever and cause to fall; to fell; to prostrate.
           "Timber . . . cut down in the mountains of Cilicia."
           --Knolles.
       (b) To put down; to abash; to humble. [Obs] "So great is
           his natural eloquence, that he cuts down the finest
           orator." --Addison
       (c) To lessen; to retrench; to curtail; as, to cut down
           expenses.
       (d) (Naut.) To raze; as, to cut down a frigate into a
           sloop.

   {To cut the knot} or {To cut the Gordian knot}, to dispose of
      a difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary
      action, rather than by skill or patience.

   {To cut lots}, to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw
      lots.

   {To cut off}.
       (a) To sever; to separate.
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                 I would to God, . . .
                 The king had cut off my brother's. --Shak.
       (b) To put an untimely death; to put an end to; to
           destroy. "Iren[ae]us was likewise cut off by
           martyrdom." --Addison.
       (c) To interrupt; as, to cut off communication; to cut
           off (the flow of) steam from (the boiler to) a steam
           engine.
       (d) To intercept; as,, to cut off an enemy's retreat.
       (e) To end; to finish; as, to cut off further debate.

   {To cut out}.
       (a) To remove by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a
           piece from a board.
       (b) To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a
           garment. " A large forest cut out into walks."
           --Addison.
       (c) To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out
           work for another day. "Every man had cut out a place
           for himself." --Addison.
       (d) To step in and take the place of; to supplant; as, to
           cut out a rival. [Colloq.]
       (e) To debar. "I am cut out from anything but common
           acknowledgments." --Pope.
       (f) To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or
           from under the guns of an enemy.
       (g) to separate from the midst of a number; as, to cut
           out a steer from a herd; to cut out a car from a
           train.
       (h) to discontinue; as, to cut out smoking.

   {To cut to pieces}.
       (a) To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces.
       (b) To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces.

   {To cut a play} (Drama), to shorten it by leaving out
      passages, to adapt it for the stage.

   {To cut rates} (Railroads, etc.), to reduce the charges for
      transportation below the rates established between
      competing lines.

   {To cut short}, to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a
      sudden termination. "Achilles cut him short, and thus
      replied." --Dryden.

   {To cut stick}, to make off clandestinely or precipitately.
      [Slang]

   {To cut teeth}, to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce
      through the gum and appear.

   {To have cut ones eyeteeth}, to be sharp and knowing.
      [Colloq.]

   {To cut ones wisdom teeth}, to come to years of discretion.
      

   {To cut under}, to undersell; as, to cut under a competitor
      in trade; more commonly referred to as {undercut}.

   {To cut up}.
       (a) To cut to pieces; as, to cut up an animal, or bushes.
       (b) To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut
           up a book or its author by severe criticism. "This
           doctrine cuts up all government by the roots."
           --Locke.
       (c) To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the
           death of his friend cut him up terribly. [Colloq.]
           --Thackeray.
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