offset

[ noun, adjective awf-set, of-; verb awf-set, of- ]

/ noun, adjective ˈɔfˌsɛt, ˈɒf-; verb ˌɔfˈsɛt, ˌɒf- /

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See synonyms for: offset / offsetting on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

adjective

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.

verb (used with object), off·set, off·set·ting.

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.

verb (used without object), off·set, off·set·ting.

to project as an offset or branch.

to counterbalance or compensate.

Printing. to make an offset.

OTHER WORDS FOR offset

2 onset.

17 match, parallel; counterweight, counterpoise; counteract.

See synonyms for offset on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of offset

First recorded in 1545–55; after verb phrase set off

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use offset in a sentence

Domestically, the prime minister maintains the dubious line that he is the only man who can keep the still-fragile peace.
Cambodia’s Smoke-and-Mirrors Democracy|David Shaftel|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Last week I turned 40, a bittersweet occasion because I crossed the line to living longer without my mother than with her.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Completed in 1953 and composed with standard line breaks and punctuation, the book was completely ignored upon submission.
The Lost Novel of Nobel-Winner José Saramago|Charles Shafaieh|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Is it any wonder that the interests of large corporations and unions get to the front of the line?
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In the end, the line between magic and religion may be something of an artificial one.
Harry Potter and the Torah of Terror|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In this position, the line of cavalry formed the chord of the arc described by the river, and occupied by us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Our talk ranged from the Panhandle to the Canada line, while our horses jogged steadily southward.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
I have drawn a Line between the figures at the extream changes, that next below the Line is the extream.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman
My station was on the right of the line, where the breastwork, ending in a redoubt, was steep and high.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for offset

offset

noun (ˈɒfˌsɛt)

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 offsetoffset 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

verb (ˌɒfˈsɛt) -sets, -setting or -set

(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

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.

offset

OTHER WORDS FOR offset

Origin of offset

Words related to offset

How to use offset in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for offset

Scientific definitions for offset