offshoot
Americannoun
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a branch or lateral shoot from a main stem, as of a plant.
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anything conceived of as springing or proceeding from a main stock.
an offshoot of a discussion.
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a branch, descendant, or scion of a specific population or family.
noun
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a shoot or branch growing from the main stem of a plant
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something that develops or derives from a principal source or origin
Etymology
Origin of offshoot
Explanation
On a plant, an offshoot is a sprout or shoot that branches off. From this botanical meaning, offshoot has come to describe anything that starts or grows from something else. You can start a whole new plant with a houseplant's offshoot, by putting it in water and waiting for it to grow roots. Another kind of offshoot is a local branch of a library, an offshoot of the central location, or an offshoot of a popular TV show, also called a "spin-off." Interestingly, the earliest definition of offshoot, in the seventeenth century, referred to family trees. It wasn't until 1814 that offshoot was used for actual plants.
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.
It’s unclear if the grant would go to the British-based organization or its international offshoot.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
And Mercado Pago, the financial offshoot of Argentine e-commerce giant Mercado Libre, could get its license approved this year, according to Oxford Analytica.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
It began as an offshoot of his sports magazine Sportlight, before evolving into a glossy weekly combining showbusiness and sport by 1957.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
In 2023, McDonald’s introduced its CosMc’s offshoot to see how customers reacted to novelty drinks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
Then he hopped down from the rock and led them downhill, down a winding offshoot trail toward a crevice behind the rock.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
