cast-off

adjective

\ ˈkast-ˌȯf

Definition of cast-off

(Entry 1 of 2)

: thrown away or aside

cast off

verb

cast off; casting off; casts off

Definition of cast off (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : loose cast off a hunting dog

2 : unfasten cast off a boat

3 : to remove (a stitch) from a knitting needle in such a way as to prevent unraveling

intransitive verb

1 : to unfasten or untie a boat or a line

2 : to turn one's partner in a square dance and pass around the outside of the set and back

3 : to finish a knitted fabric by casting off all stitches

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Examples of cast-off in a Sentence

Verb

once she became rich and didn't need them anymore, she cast off all her old friends like so much junk

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

One protester cast off his mask and stood up on the desks. — Time, "'We Are Risking Everything.' Hong Kong's Young Rebels Stake Everything on Their Struggle," 5 July 2019 This was supposed to be when France finally cast off all those years of shackles of chokes in big games. — Jonathan Tannenwald, Pro Soccer USA, "France laments painful World Cup loss to U.S. on its home soil," 29 June 2019 Billings apparently lost control after two tugboats assisting her cast off their tow lines, leaving the littoral combat ship under her own power. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "One of the Navy's New Warships Just Crashed in Canada," 26 June 2019 Class privilege is passed from one generation to the next, in countries living under protracted dictatorships and with varied histories of casting off colonial rule and staking claim to rights and land. — Yasmine El Rashidi, The New York Review of Books, "Growing Up in Hell," 6 June 2019 Will Jill Ellis’ team finally cast off the demons, or will the old enemy continue its hex? — Jonathan Tannenwald, https://www.inquirer.com, "Women’s World Cup 2019: Top games to watch in the group stage," 6 June 2019 Prior to landing on national television, Mr. Batiste, who is 31 years old, found his voice by casting off conventions. — Larry Blumenfeld, WSJ, "‘Hollywood Africans’ by Jon Batiste Review: A Meditative Moment, Away From Late-Night TV’s Glare," 2 Oct. 2018 They were both cast off by a then-crummy team, the Rams. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "The Rise of the NFL’s Mediocre Quarterback," 6 Sep. 2018 Then the oaks and eucalyptus exploded, casting off embers the size of basketballs that the heavy winds blew hundreds of yards away. — Scott Wilson, Washington Post, "Devastated by wildfire, a California city weighs rebuilding amid a housing crunch," 14 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cast-off.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.