offshoot

noun

off·​shoot ˈȯf-ˌshüt 

1

a

: a collateral or derived branch, descendant, or member : outgrowth

b

: a lateral branch (as of a mountain range)

2

: a branch of a main stem especially of a plant

Synonyms of offshoot

• limb
• outgrowth
• sprout
• shoot
• growth

Examples of offshoot in a Sentence

The business started as an offshoot of an established fashion design company.

we knew the rosebush had survived the harsh winter when it began producing offshoots and turning green again

Recent Examples on the Web

But, of course, the ultimate sell, the one that would carry such businesses and their offshoots through feast and especially famine, was the optimism of opportunity itself, a shot at the good life in crazy times, for sellers and customers both. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026

Alongside the Massachusetts Emergency and Hygiene Association (MEHA), an offshoot of the Boston Woman’s Education Association, Zakrzewska was instrumental in establishing sand play in Boston. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 13 July 2026

Both vehicles are offshoots from the nation’s Long March 10, a gargantuan rocket that is being developed to send Chinese astronauts to the moon. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 10 July 2026

The Venezuelan gang rapidly put him in charge of its offshoot in Santiago, called the Pirates of Aragua, according to court documents and interviews. — Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for offshoot

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• compute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute

Kids Definition

offshoot

noun

off·​shoot ˈȯf-ˌshüt 

1

: something that branches out from something else

2

: a branch of a main stem of a plant