Offset

[noun, adjective awf-set, of-; verb awf-set, of-] /noun, adjective ˈɔfˌsɛt, ˈɒf-; verb ˌɔfˈsɛt, ˌɒf-/

noun
1.
something that counterbalances, counteracts, or compensates for something else; compensating equivalent.
2.
the start, beginning, or outset.
3.
a short lateral shoot by which certain plants are propagated.
4.
an offshoot or branch of a specific population or family.
5.
any offshoot; branch.
6.
Also called offset printing, offset lithography. Lithography.

7.
Also called setoff. Printing. an unintentional transfer of excess or undried ink from one printed sheet to another.
8.
Geology.

9.
Machinery. a jog or short displacement in an otherwise straight and continuous line, as in a pipe, lever, or rod, made to avoid objects or to connect with other parts.
10.
Architecture. (def 3).
11.
Surveying.

12.
Naval Architecture. any of the coordinates by which any point on a hull being planned is located.
adjective
13.
of, noting, or pertaining to an offset.
14.
Lithography. pertaining to, printed by, or suitable for printing by offset.
15.
placed away from a center line; off-center.
16.
placed at an angle to something, as to the axis of a form, shape, or object; not parallel.
verb (used with object), offset, offsetting.
17.
to counterbalance as an equivalent does; compensate for:
The gains offset the losses.
18.
to juxtapose with something else, as for purposes of comparison:
to offset advantages against disadvantages.
19.
Printing.

20.
Architecture. to build with a setoff, as a wall.
21.
Surveying. to establish (a line) parallel to a main survey line at an offset.
verb (used without object), offset, offsetting.
22.
to project as an offset or branch.
23.
to counterbalance or compensate.
24.
Printing. to make an offset.
noun (ˈɒfˌsɛt)
1.
something that counterbalances or compensates for something else
2.
an allowance made to counteract some effect
3.

4.
another name for set-off
5.
(botany)

6.
a ridge projecting from a range of hills or mountains
7.
the horizontal component of displacement on a fault
8.
a narrow horizontal or sloping surface formed where a wall is reduced in thickness towards the top
9.
a person or group descended collaterally from a particular group or family; offshoot
10.
(surveying) a measurement of distance to a point at right angles to a survey line
verb (ˌɒfˈsɛt) -sets, -setting, -set
11.
(transitive) to counterbalance or compensate for
12.
(transitive) to print (pictures, text, etc) using the offset process
13.
(transitive) to construct an offset in (a wall)
14.
(intransitive) to project or develop as an offset
n.

1550s, “act of setting off” (on a journey, etc.), from off + set (adj.). Meaning “something ‘set off’ against something else, a counterbalance” is from 1769; the verb in this sense is from 1792. As a type of printing, in which the inked impression is first made on a rubber roller then transferred to paper, it is recorded from 1906.
offset
(ôf’sět’)
A shoot that develops laterally at the base of a plant, often rooting to form a new plant. Many succulents and cacti are propagated by removing offsets and planting them elsewhere. See more at vegetative reproduction.

programming
An index or position in an array, string, or block of memory usually a non-negative integer.
E.g. the Perl function splice(ARRAY, OFFSET, LENGTH, LIST) replaces LENGTH elements starting at index OFFSET in array with LIST, where offset zero means the start of the array.
For an Intel x86 processor with a segmented address space the offset is the position of a byte relative to the start of the segment.
(2004-02-27)