officious

[Fr. officieux, from Lat. officio sus obliging, from officium =duty, office; Sp. ofici oso; Ital. officioso.] boil, boy; pout, jowl; cat, çell, chorus, *1. Observant of all proper offices. "With granted leave officious I return.' Milton: P. R., ii. 302. chin, bench; go, gem; thin, this; offset *2. Attentive, obliging; ready to do kind offices; kind. "You valiant Cutts th' officious Muses crown." Yalden: Conquest of Namur . 3. Forward in kindne ; meddling, importunate, over zealous. "Know, officious lords, I dare, and must deny it." Shakesp.: Henry VIII . , iii. 2. of-fi-cio us-ly, adv . [Eng. officious ; -ly .] *1. Kindly; with solicitude and kindne . 2. With importunatene ; in an officious, meddlesome, or importunate manner; meddlingly. "Flatt'ring crowds officiously appear, To give themselves, not you, an happy year." Dryden: To Lord Chancellor Hyde. of-fi-cio us-ne , s . [Eng, officious; -ne .] 1. Solicitude, anxious care, attention; readine to do kind offices. "With familiar and affectionate of i cio us ne and sumptuous cost."-H. More: On Godline , bk. viii., ch. xiii. *2. Serviceablene , usefulne , utility, service, use. "In whom is required understanding asin a man, courage and vivacity, as in a lion, service and ministerial officiousne , as in the ox."- Brown . 3. Exce ive forwardne in interfering in matters. which do not concern one; meddlesomene , interference. off-ing, s. [Eng. off; -ing.] Nautical : 1. That portion of the sea beyond the mid-line between the coast and the horizon. 2. The position of a ve el, in that part of the sea beyond the mid-line between the coast and the horizon. "The discrepancy in the estimate of the ve el's ofing." -London Daily News. off-ish, a. [Eng. off; -ish.] Rather shy or distant in manner. off-lět, s . [Eng. off , and let (q. v.).] A pipe laid at the level of the bottom of a canal, ., to let off the water.