give off

verb

gave off; given off; giving off; gives off

transitive verb

1
: to send out as a branch
2
: emit
gave off an unpleasant smell

intransitive verb

: to branch off

Examples of give off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The signal was a puzzle, because white dwarfs like the one at the heart of the Helix Nebula, designated WD 2226-210, don't normally give off strong X-ray signals. Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2025 This Is When to Start Planting Tomatoes for a Bountiful Summer Harvest Baobab Saint-Tropez Body and Hand Lotion The lotion’s fragrance features a top note of mint, giving off an energizing quality, along with thyme and basil. Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2025 Traveling at high speeds through the atmosphere, hypersonic missiles should generate tremendous heat, giving off a strong infrared signal to track from space. Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 19 Feb. 2025 This can cause those magnetic fields to collide and release energetic particles close to the speed of light, giving off bright bursts of radiation that are ejected outward, similar to that of a solar flare from the sun, Yusef-Zadeh says. Chandelis Duster, NPR, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for give off

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of give off was in 1831

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Cite this Entry

“Give off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20off. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

give off

verb
: emit sense 1a
gave off a sweet smell

More from Merriam-Webster on give off

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