offfallt

See offal. off-flow (of'flō), n. A channel or way by which surplus water may be discharged or allowed to flow off. offhand (of'hand'), adv. 1. At once; without deliberation or premeditation; without previous preparation or practice. But then she reads so-my stars! how she will read off hand ! Sheridan, The Rivals, ii. 2. We cannot say, without looking carefully to the scale on the map, how many miles Corfu lies from the coast of The aly, any more than we can say off hand how many Anglesey lies from the coast Norfolk. E. A. Freeman, Venice, p. 337. 2. From the hand; without the support of a rest. Rifles were, however, always permitted to compete with them, under equitable restrictions. These were, they should be fired off - hand, while the shot-guns were allowed a rest, the distance being equal. 1. A. B. Long street, Georgia Scenes, p. 203. offhand (of hand), a . [ adv .] Without study or premeditation; impromptu: as, an offhand remark; an offhand speech. One searches in vain [in Matthew Arnold's works] for a blithe, musical, gay, or serious off - hand poem. Stedman, Vict. Poets, p. 92. 2. Free and easy; unstudied or unconventional: as, an offhand manner. He [Gray] has the knack of saying droll things in an of hand way, and as if they cost him nothing. Lowell, New Princeton Rev., I. 167. offhanded (of handed), adv . [ offhand + -ed2 .] Offhand; without hesitation. [Colloq.] the legislature, unle constitutionally fixed. ( b ) In a more general sense, the word office includes continuous powers or functions to act under direct sanction of law in the affairs of others without their appointment or consent: as, the office of an executor or of a trustee. (c) In a private corporation: (1) A continuous power or function the existence of which forms part of the organization of the body, as distinguished from the service of agents and servants. (2) Executive or administrative powers and functions, as distinguished from membership in the governing body, as those of the directors and officers of a bank. 5. In old Eng. law, jurisdiction; bailiwick: as, a constable sworn "to prevent all bloodshed, outcries, affrays, and rescouses [rescues] done within his office." - 6. Inquest of office (which see, under inquest ).-7. A building or room in which one transacts busine or discharges his profe ional duties: as, a lawyer's or doctor's office; the office of a factory or lumber-yard; especially, a place where public busine is transacted: as, the county clerk's office; the post office; the war- office: also (in the plural), the apartments wherein domestics discharge the several duties attached to a house, as kitchens, pantries, brew-houses, and the like, along with outhouses, such as the stables, etc., of a mansion or palace, or the barns, cow-houses, etc., of a farm. IMG:content-1655.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1656.png:[blocks in formation]