offspring
972
off-spring /'ɒfˌsprɪŋ||'ɔːf-/ n pl. offspring fml or humor (not with an) a child or children from particular parents, of a particular number etc: They have several offspring. | Is this your offspring?
off-stage /ˌɒfˈsteɪdʒ‖ˌɔːf-/ adv, adj just behind or to the side of a stage in a theatre; out of sight of those watching a play: He ran offstage. | a loud crash offstage → opposite ONSTAGE
'off-street adj [A] away from the main streets (often in the phrase off-street parking)
,off-the-'cuff adj, adv (said) without thinking deeply before speaking, unprepared: an off-the-cuff speech | remarks made off-the-cuff
,off-the-'peg BrE || ,off-the-'rack AmE — adj, adv (of clothes etc) made to standard sizes and so easy to find: She's slim and of average height, so she can buy her dresses off the peg. | (fig.) There are several off-the-peg forms for making your own will. → compare MADE-TO-MEASURE, OFF-THE-SHELF
,off-the-'record adj, adv (given or made) unofficially and not to be written down in the notes of the meeting, publicly reported etc: The Prime Minister's remarks were strictly off-the-record. | Off the record, I agree with your criticisms.
,off-the-'shelf adj, adv AmE READY-MADE and available: an off-the-shelf software package
USAGE American English uses off-the-rack for clothes and off-the-shelf for most other things; British English uses off-the-peg and off-the-shelf. → compare OFF-THE-PEG
,off-the-'wall adj infml, especially AmE amusingly foolish; ZANY: This idea is really off-the-wall.
off-track /'ɒftræk‖'ɔːf-/ adj AmE away from a RACETRACK: Only a few states allow offtrack betting.
,off-'white adj having a colour that is not a pure white but has some grey or yellow in it —off-white n [U]
Of-gem, OFGEM /'ɒfdʒem‖'ɔːf-/ the British government organization whose job is to make sure that the UK gas and electricity industry operates safely and does not charge unfair prices
Of ,Mice and 'Men a famous short story by John Steinbeck about the friendship between Lennie and George, two poor, working men who want a better life and have plans to own their own farm. Lennie is a big powerful man with the mind of a child. He does not know how to control his emotions or his strength, and accidentally kills first a PUPPY and then later a woman. At the end of the story, George shoots Lennie and their dream of owning farm where Lennie can look after rabbits dies too.
Of-sted /'ɒfsted‖'ɔːf-/ abbrev. for the Office for Standards in Education; the government organization that is responsible for checking the quality of education in British schools
oft /ɒft‖ɔft/ adv poet (usually in comb.) often: oft-repeated advice
OFT /ˌəʊ ef ˈtiː/ abbrev. for OFFICE OF FAIR TRADING, the British government organization whose job is to protect people from being cheated by shops and other businesses, and to help customers who have been cheated or treated unfairly
Of-tel, OFTEL /'ɒftel‖'ɔːf-/ also Office of Telecommunications the British government organization whose job is to make sure that the UK telephone industry treats its customers fairly and does not charge unfair prices
of-ten /'ɒfən, 'ɒftən‖'ɔː-/ adv 1 many times: 'How often do you go there?' 'Once a month, but I'd like to go more often.' | I've often heard it said that he is the cleverest person in the government. 2 in many cases: Americans are often very tall. | It's often difficult to translate poems. 3 as often as not quite often; at least half of the time 4 do you come here often? humor a phrase used by a man as a way of introducing himself to a woman he is interested in sexually. The humorous answer is 'only in the mating (MATE) season'. 5 every so often from time to time 6 more often than not more than half of the time; usually: More often than not she misses the bus. → see NEVER (USAGE)
Of-wat, OFWAT /'ɒfwɒt‖'ɔːfwɑːt, -wɒt/ the British government organization whose job is to make sure that the UK water industry provides safe water, protects the environment, and does not charge unfair prices
o-gle /'əʊgəl/ v [I(at):T] derog to look (at) with great interest, especially sexual interest: old men ogling young girls
O grade /'əʊ greɪd/ n 1 [U] Ordinary grade; (before 1986) in Scotland, the lowest level of the SCE, now called the STANDARD GRADE 2 [C] an examination of this standard in a particular subject, taken at around the age of 16: She took eight O grades. → compare HIGHER, O LEVEL
o-gre /'əʊgə/, o-gress /'əʊgrəs/ fem. — n. 1 a fierce creature in children's stories, like a very large person, who is thought to eat children 2 a frightening person: Our boss is a bit of an ogre.
oh /əʊ/ interj 1 (expressing surprise, fear etc): Oh, how dreadful! | Oh no, not again! 2 (used before a name when calling someone): Oh, David, come here a moment!
OH written abbrev. for OHIO
O'Ha-ra, Scar-lett /əʊ'hɑːrə‖-ˈhæ-, ˈskɑːlɪt‖ˈskɑr-/ the main female character in the book GONE WITH THE WIND, who was played by the actress Vivien LEIGH in the film. She is a beautiful, determined, and clever woman.
O'Hare /əʊˈheə/ also O'Hare ,International 'Airport the main airport in Chicago, which is the busiest airport in the US
O-hi-o /əʊˈhaɪəʊ/ 1 written abbrev. OH a state in the MIDWEST of the US, known especially for its engineering, coal mining, and farming. Its largest city is Cleveland. 2 a long river in the central US, which used to carry a lot of industrial goods
ohm /əʊm/ n tech the standard unit of electrical RESISTANCE, which allows one AMP to flow under a pressure of one VOLT
OHMS /ˌəʊ eɪtʃ em ˈes/ written abbrev. for On Her (or His) Majesty's Service; written especially on letters sent from government departments in the UK. Envelopes marked OHMS do not need stamps since the government departments pay for these letters to be sent.
o-ho /əʊˈhəʊ/ interj lit or old use (expressing surprise or joy at success)
Oh Su-san-na /ˌəʊ suːˈzænə/ a 19th century US FOLK SONG written by Stephen FOSTER:
Oh, Susanna! Now don't you cry for me,
For I've come from Alabama.
With my banjo on my knee.
oil1 /ɔɪl/ n [U] 1 (often in comb.) any of several types of thick fatty liquid (from animals, plants, or under the ground) used for burning, making machines run easily, cooking etc: olive oil | coconut oil | hair oil 2 PETROLEUM: The price of oil has gone up. | After drilling for several weeks they finally struck oil. (=found it underground) | the oil industry → see also OILS, OILY, burn the midnight oil (BURN1), pour oil on troubled waters (POUR)
oil2 v [T] 1 to put or rub oil on or into: to oil a bicycle | to oil the hinges to stop them squeaking 2 oil the wheels infml fig. to make things go more smoothly, especially in business, sometimes by offering people illegal gifts of money etc
'oil-based adj made with oil as the main substance: oil-based paints
'oil-bearing adj (especially of areas underground) containing oil: oil-bearing rock/strata
oil-can /'ɔɪlkæn/ n an oil container (usually with a long thin neck) used for oiling machinery
oil-cloth /'ɔɪlklɒθ‖-klːθ/ n [U] cloth treated with oil and used for covering tables, shelves etc because it is easy to WIPE clean
oil-field /'ɔɪlfiːld/ n an area under which there is oil: oilfields in the desert/under the North Sea
'oil-fired adj (especially of a heating system) burning oil to produce heat
'oil lamp n a lamp that works by burning oil
oil-man /'ɔɪlmæn/ n pl. -men /mən/ a worker or businessman in the oil industry
'oil paint n [C;U] OILS
'oil painting n 1 [U] the art or activity of painting in OILS 2 [C] a picture painted in OILS → compare WATERCOLOUR 3 BrE no oil painting infml, often humor (someone or something that is) not at all beautiful
'oil pan n AmE for SUMP
'oil-rich adj [A] BrE (of a country) having plenty of natural oil