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off-the-peg

American  
[awf-thuh-peg, of-] / ˈɔf ðəˈpɛg, ˈɒf- /

adjective

British.
  1. ready-to-wear.


off-the-peg British  

adjective

  1. (of clothing) ready to wear; not produced especially for the person buying

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of off-the-peg

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 21st century has seen a trend for pads, fillers, and surgery to enlarge lips, breasts, and buttocks, but we don’t yet have off-the-peg belly pads as they did in 1793.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025

Some boring off-the-peg worthiness about body image, or how only ethically sourced style slaves fluff his bouclé for him?

From The Guardian • Oct. 6, 2016

He was careful not to claim these words as his own, but, he said, “People have to be a bit critical to think that off-the-peg is not good enough.”

From The New Yorker • Jul. 11, 2016

The series of off-the-peg glass office buildings located on an upmarket industrial park belie the exotic endeavours that take place within.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2014

Even the nearest drug store, wary of that row of the transient hat-on-the-peg, off-the-peg, would deliver to No. 28 a mustard plaster or a deck of cards and charge without question.

From The Vertical City by Hurst, Fannie