cast-off

1 of 2

adjective

: thrown away or aside
castoff noun

cast off

2 of 2

verb

cast off; casting off; casts off

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

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
Adjective
Thunderbolts, a Suicide Squad-like assembly of cast-off MCU villains? Paul Tassi, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Sell-offs like these can be opportunities for other establishments — such as supermarkets, hospitals, or schools — to stock up on affordable wares, and can also help keep cast-off inventory out of landfills, Sherman said. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2023 The cast-off animals had been locked in dirty wire cages and left in a field on the ranch with no regular caregiver to give them food and water. Diane Bell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2023 Shimmering in purple like a cherry blossom, the cast-off material once comprised the star’s outer layer. Marcia Dunn, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2023
Verb
At right: Indulging her crafty side, Moss casts off a bit of length from her Giorgio Armani dress (armani.com)—and just as quickly reaps a lot of kicky chic. Larissa Hofmann, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2023 The captain stands on the flying bridge as the crew casts off. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023 Would that require casting off all European influences? Larry Rohter, The New York Review of Books, 14 Sep. 2023 The ritual is about symbolically casting away sins, and people often throw bread crumbs into the water to symbolize casting off the sins and letting the water wash them away. Alesandra Dubin, Country Living, 29 Aug. 2023 Women’s casting off and burning their headscarves became a prominent act of defiance in the early weeks of the protest movement. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 The Los Angeles native became a fan favorite and franchise icon with the Dodgers, going from an unheralded reclamation project who’d been cast off by the Mets to a two-time All-Star, three-time pennant winner and veteran leader on the club’s 2020 World Series-winning squad. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2023 Joplin, who also wrote the libretto, made clear that his protagonist learned from a white teacher, furthering his crucial — and dated — theme: the need for Black people to cast off a racialized past and embrace an assimilation defined by whites. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 July 2023 Antonio didn’t like it and wished his doctor would saw the cast off. Lizzie Johnson, Washington Post, 3 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cast-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1575, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cast-off was in 1575

Dictionary Entries Near cast-off

Cite this Entry

“Cast-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cast-off. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

cast-off

adjective
ˈkas-ˌtȯf
: thrown away or aside
cast-off clothes
castoff noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cast-off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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