setoff
[set-awf, -of]
noun
something that counterbalances or makes up for something else, as compensation for a loss.
Accounting. a counterbalancing debt or claim, especially one that cancels an amount a debtor owes.
Also called offset. Architecture.
- a reduction in the thickness of a wall.
- a flat or sloping projection on a wall, buttress, or the like, below a thinner part.
something used to enhance the effect of another thing by contrasting it, as an ornament.
Printing. offset(def 7).
Origin of setoff
First recorded in 1615–25; noun use of verb phrase set off
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019