offset
something that counterbalances, counteracts, or compensates for something else; compensating equivalent.
the start, beginning, or outset.
a short lateral shoot by which certain plants are propagated.
an offshoot or branch of a specific population or family.
any offshoot; branch.
Also called offset printing, offset lithography. Lithography.
a process in which a lithographic stone or metal or paper plate is used to make an inked impression on a rubber blanket that transfers it to the paper being printed, instead of being made directly on the paper.
the impression itself.
Also called setoff. Printing. an unintentional transfer of excess or undried ink from one printed sheet to another.
Geology.
(in faults) the magnitude of displacement between two previously aligned bodies.
a spur of a mountain range.
Machinery. a jog or short displacement in an otherwise straight and continuous line, as in a pipe, lever, or rod, made to avoid objects or to connect with other parts.
Architecture. setoff (def. 3).
Surveying.
a short distance measured perpendicularly from a main survey line.
Also called offset line . a line a short distance from and parallel to a main survey line.
Naval Architecture. any of the coordinates by which any point on a hull being planned is located.
of, noting, or pertaining to an offset.
Lithography. pertaining to, printed by, or suitable for printing by offset.
placed away from a center line; off-center.
placed at an angle to something, as to the axis of a form, shape, or object; not parallel.
to counterbalance as an equivalent does; compensate for: The gains offset the losses.
to juxtapose with something else, as for purposes of comparison: to offset advantages against disadvantages.
Printing.
to make an offset of.
to print by the process of offset lithography.
Architecture. to build with a setoff, as a wall.
Surveying. to establish (a line) parallel to a main survey line at an offset.
to project as an offset or branch.
to counterbalance or compensate.
Printing. to make an offset.
Origin of offset
1Other words for offset
Words Nearby offset
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use offset in a sentence
The shopping spree by the rich will not offset the spending cuts by the rest of the population.
Haves and Have-Nots: Pandemic Recovery Explodes China’s Wealth Gap | Daniel Malloy | August 19, 2020 | OzyOver the years, developers in San Diego have been required to fork over money to offset the impact of their development.
Early hot spots like New York City have cooled off, but that decrease in new cases is offset by a surge in states like Texas, Arizona, California and Florida.
The U.S. largely wasted time bought by COVID-19 lockdowns. Now what? | Jonathan Lambert | July 1, 2020 | Science NewsUrchin, Dungeness crab and clam biomass fell when otters were present, but these losses were offset by gains in fish and other invertebrates that rely on kelp.
Bringing sea otters back to the Pacific coast pays off, but not for everyone | Jonathan Lambert | June 11, 2020 | Science NewsSo I’ve always believed that the euro is problematic, because you’re creating a currency, but without a single banking system, without a fiscal union, without offsets to deal with it.
Fortunately, Pomplamoose made some money to offset some of these expenses.
He plants a tree in Central America for every bottle of Tru spirits he sells to offset the carbon produced in manufacturing.
The wealthy want to be seen as even more parsimonious, to offset the incriminating millions in their bank accounts.
Sting and Hillary Are Just Like You: How the Very Rich Play at Being Very Ordinary | Tim Teeman | June 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd the potential growth in those businesses could easily offset the loss of revenues from selling tobacco.
It provides $63 billion in sequester relief, which is partially offset by a $23 billion mix of spending cuts and “fees.”
Tea Party Republicans: The Biggest Sore Winners in Washington | Jamelle Bouie | December 12, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Constitution requires that reapportionment or redistricting take place every ten years to offset population changes.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. TorpeyRussia thought by joining hands with France she would offset the power of Germany and Austria.
Ways of War and Peace | Delia AustrianTo offset this, I paid Mike $600 a year, and employed his son Joe at $1.75 a day, for twenty weeks.
The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard EatonThe two effects would consequently offset each other under such conditions.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2. | Julius StieglitzWe find a strong offset to the horror of Aztec cruelty in the very Bible, which we regard as the mainstay of our religious world.
Ancient Faiths And Modern | Thomas Inman
British Dictionary definitions for offset
something that counterbalances or compensates for something else
an allowance made to counteract some effect
a printing method in which the impression is made onto an intermediate surface, such as a rubber blanket, which transfers it to the paper
(modifier) relating to, involving, or printed by offset: offset letterpress; offset lithography
another name for set-off
botany
a short runner in certain plants, such as the houseleek, that produces roots and shoots at the tip
a plant produced from such a runner
a ridge projecting from a range of hills or mountains
the horizontal component of displacement on a fault
a narrow horizontal or sloping surface formed where a wall is reduced in thickness towards the top
a person or group descended collaterally from a particular group or family; offshoot
surveying a measurement of distance to a point at right angles to a survey line
(tr) to counterbalance or compensate for
(tr) to print (pictures, text, etc) using the offset process
(tr) to construct an offset in (a wall)
(intr) to project or develop as an offset
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
Scientific definitions for offset
[ ôf′sĕt′ ]
A shoot that develops laterally at the base of a plant, often rooting to form a new plant. Many succulents and cacti are propagated by removing offsets and planting them elsewhere. See more at vegetative reproduction.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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