cast-off

1 of 2

adjective

ˈkast-ˌȯf 

: 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

The Knicks have been linked to Brogdon, a veteran point guard with playoff experience who was cast-off in from the Boston Celtics as part of the Jrue Holiday trade. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 13 June 2024

The younger man even wears his boss’s cast-off clothing, as a son might his dad’s. —Rumaan Alam, New York Times, 21 May 2024

Verb

Once Moana casts off for her second adventure, a hungry Maui magically appears on her vessel and considers eating her pet pig. —Zoe Guy, Vulture, 29 May 2024

Indeed, beginning with comments ahead of his 2023 New Year’s speech, Putin has cast off the depiction of the war in Ukraine as just a special military operation. —Fiona Hill, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1613, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1575, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

cast-off

adjective

ˈkas-ˌtȯf

: thrown away or aside

cast-off clothes

castoff noun