Off vs Puff - What's the difference?
off | puff |
In a direction away from the speaker or object.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4
, passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or
Into a state of non-operation; into a state of non-existence.
Inoperative, disabled.
:All the lights are off .
Rancid, rotten.
:This milk is off !
(cricket) In, or towards the half of the field away from the batsman's legs; the right side for a right-handed batsman.
Less than normal, in temperament or in result.
:sales are off this quarter
Circumstanced (as in well off'', ''better off'', ''poorly off ).
*
Started on the way.
:off to see the wizard
:And they're off ! Whatsmyname takes an early lead, with Remember The Mane behind by a nose.
*
Far; off to the side.
:the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse
*
*:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
*1937 , (Zora Neale Hurston), Their Eyes Were Watching God , Harper Perennial (2000), p.151:
*:He came in, took a look and squinched down into a chair in an off corner and didn’t open his mouth.
Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from a post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent.
:He took an off''' day for fishing. an '''off''' year in politics; the '''off season
(Used to indicate movement away from a position on)
(colloquial) Out of the possession of.
Away from or not on.
Disconnected or subtracted from.
Distant from.
No longer wanting or taking.
(slang) To kill.
(Singapore) To switch off.
(countable) A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
(uncountable) The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.
(countable) A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.
* Flatman
(informal, countable) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
(countable) A flamboyant or alluring statement about an object's quality.
(dated, slang) A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type.
* 1842 , "A Paper on Puffing", in Ainsworth's Magazine
* 1848 , Mrs. White, "Puffs and Puffing", in Sharpe's London Magazine
* 2008 , David Paton-Williamspage, Katterfelto , page xii
A puffball.
A powder puff.
(uncountable, slang) The drug cannabis.
(countable) A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.
(derogatory, slang, British, particularly northern UK) a homosexual; a poof
(slang, dated, UK) life
* 1938 , P. G. Wodehouse (Bertie Wooster speaking of Spode) in The Code of the Woosters
To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs.
To pant.
* L'Estrange
* 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter VI
(archaic) To advertise.
To blow as an expression of scorn.
* South
To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.
To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
* Herbert
To drive with a puff, or with puffs.
* Dryden
To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.
* Dryden
To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.
* Shakespeare
To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up .
* Jowett
To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.
* Macaulay
As an adverb off
is in a direction away from the speaker or object.As an adjective off
is inoperative, disabled.As a preposition off
is (used to indicate movement away from a position on).As a verb off
is (slang) to kill.As a noun puff is
(colloquial) brothel, bordello.off
English
Adverb
(en adverb)Usage notes
* Used in many , off'' is an adverbial particle often mistakenly thought of as a preposition. (It ''can be used as a preposition, but such usage is rare and usually informal; see below.)Synonyms
* away, outAntonyms
* on, inDerived terms
* back off * bite off * break off * bring off * call off * clean off * cut off, cutoff * die off * drop off * fall off * fuck off * get off * go off * goof off * hold off * keep off * kick off, kickoff * knock off * lay off, layoff * leave off * let off * light off * live off * make off * make off with * nod off * pay off, payoff * piss off * pull off * put off * ring off * rip off, ripoff * round off * run off, runoff * see off * set off * show off, showoff * sleep off * shake off * switch off * take off * tell off * tick off * turn off, turnoff * walk it off * wear offAdjective
(en adjective)Antonyms
* (inoperative) on * (rotten) fresh * (cricket) on, legDerived terms
* off to the racesPreposition
(English prepositions)- I took it off''' the table.''; ''Come '''off the roof!
- He didn't buy it off''' him. He stole it '''off him.
- He's off''' the computer, but he's still on the phone.''; ''Keep '''off the grass.
- We've been off''' the grid for three days now.''; ''He took 20% '''off the list price.
- We're just off''' the main road.''; ''The island is 23 miles ' off the cape.
- He's been off''' his feed since Tuesday.''; ''He's '''off his meds again.
- Tantalum bar 6 off 3/8" Dia × 12" — Atom, Great Britain Atomic Energy Authority, 1972
- samples submitted … 12 off Thermistors type 1K3A531 … — BSI test report for shock and vibration testing, 2000
- I'd like to re-order those printer cartridges, let's say 5-off .
Antonyms
*Derived terms
* off-campus * off one's feedVerb
(en verb)- He got in the way so I had him offed .
- Can you off the light?
Derived terms
* off-licence, off-license, offie, offypuff
English
Noun
- out of puff
- puff of smoke
- to every puff of wind a slave
- Is nothing to be said in praise of the "Emporiums" and "Repositories" and "Divans," which formerly were mere insignificant tailors', toymen's, and tobacconists' shops? Is the transition from the barber's pole to the revolving bust of the perruquier, nothing? — the leap from the bare counter-traversed shop to the carpeted and mirrored saloon of trade, nothing? Are they not, one and all, practical puffs , intended to invest commerce with elegance, and to throw a halo round extravagance?
- Here the duke is made the vehicle of the tailor's advertisement, and the prelusive compliments, ostensibly meant for his grace, merge into a covert recommendation of the coat. Several specimens might be given of this species of puff , which is to be met with in almost every paper, and is a favourite form with booksellers, professional men, &c.
- He was the eighteenth century king of spin, or, in the language of the day, the "prince of puff ".
- cream puff
- Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?
Synonyms
* (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) * (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) wind * (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) * drag * (cannabis) blow, dope, ganja, pot, weed; see also * (type of cake) pastry * (poof) See poofDerived terms
* powder puff * puff pastry * puffer * puffery * puffing * puff pieceVerb
(en verb)- The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing, from the chase.
- Puffing and panting, we plodded on until within about a mile of the harbor we came upon a sight that brought us all up standing.
- It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation.
- (Boyle)
- Then came brave Glory puffing by.
- The clearing north will puff the clouds away.
- I puff the prostitute away.
- a bladder puffed with air
- the sea puffed up with winds
- puffed up with military success
- puffed with wonderful skill