offing Meaning & Definition
What Does Offing Mean?
Offing is a noun that means The area of the sea in which a ship can be seen in the distance from land, excluding the parts nearest the shore, and beyond the anchoring ground. It is also used to mean The distance that a ship at sea keeps away from land, often because of navigational dangers, fog and other hazards; a position at a distance from shore. As a verb, it means present participle and gerund of off. As a verb, it means To kill.
Offing in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈɒfɪŋ// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Plural | offings |
Offing Definition (Noun)
- The area of the sea in which a ship can be seen in the distance from land, excluding the parts nearest the shore, and beyond the anchoring ground.
to see (a ship) in the offing
- The distance that a ship at sea keeps away from land, often because of navigational dangers, fog and other hazards; a position at a distance from shore.
- The foreseeable future. Chiefly in the phrase in the offing.
Offing as a Verb
- present participle and gerund of off
Verb
- To kill.
He got in the way so I had him offed.
- To switch off.
Can you off the light?
Synonyms of Offing
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Offing synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Offing
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Offing in a Sentence
to see (a ship) in the offing
He got in the way so I had him offed.
Can you off the light?
Word Forms & Grammar
offing (plural offings)
offing
Origin of Offing
From off + -ing. Attested since before 1600.[1] Early texts also spell the term offin and offen.
Pronouncing Offing
You say offing as //ˈɒfɪŋ//. It has 1 syllable.