offshoot

[ awf-shoot, of- ]

/ ˈɔfˌʃut, ˈɒf- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR offshoot ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a branch or lateral shoot from a main stem, as of a plant.

anything conceived of as springing or proceeding from a main stock: an offshoot of a discussion.

a branch, descendant, or scion of a specific population or family.

Nearby words

Origin of offshoot

First recorded in 1665–75; off + shoot¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for offshoot

Hamas is an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, now anathema to Cairo's military regime.
Imprisonment of Canadian Activists Illustrates Egyptian Regime's Growing Repression|Jesse Rosenfeld|September 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On the Syrian battlefield, the lines between the Brotherhood and Jabhat al-Nusra, an offshoot of al Qaeda, often are blurred.
Let It Bleed: No American Action Can Resolve the Syrian Conflict|Christopher Dickey|August 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Hamas arose as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the connection between the two groups are strong.
Morsi Should Visit Jerusalem|Aaron Magid|January 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Assad hails from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that al Qaeda, a Sunni group, considers a natural enemy.
Syrian Rebel Leader Mustafa al-Sheikh Says Victory Against Assad Not in Sight|Mike Giglio|July 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST

His offshoot fashion site, CocoPerez.com, garnered just 160,000 unique visitors in May, according to comScore.
Has Perez Lost His Touch?|Peter Lauria|June 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST
America, we might say, does not exist; there exists instead an offshoot of Europe.
Appearances|Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson
Richard did not know them, and, by his air, did not desire to become acquainted with any offshoot of that family.
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel, Complete|George Meredith
Some cold prudence, an offshoot of her curious anger of the morning which still lingered with her, restrained.
Married Life|May Edginton
Luke Sharp looked at his wife, to ask whether any offshoot of this reproach was intended at all to come home to him.
Cripps, the Carrier|R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore
During this separation, very singular changes were observed to be taking place in both the original comet and its offshoot.
Aether and Gravitation|William George Hooper

British Dictionary definitions for offshoot

offshoot

/ (ˈɒfˌʃuːt) /

noun

a shoot or branch growing from the main stem of a plant

something that develops or derives from a principal source or origin

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

Word Origin and History for offshoot

offshoot

1670s, in figurative sense, of family trees; 1801 in general sense of "a derivative;" 1814 in literal sense, in reference to plants. From off + shoot (n.).

offshoot

noun

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Origin of offshoot

Examples from the Web for offshoot

offshoot

noun

offshoot