offal

noun

of·​fal ˈȯ-fəl 

ˈä-

1

: the waste or by-product of a process: such as

a

: trimmings (such as the belly, head, and shoulders) of a hide

b

: the by-products of milling (as of wheat or barley) used especially for stock feeds

c

: the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal removed in preparing it for market or for consumption : variety meat

2

: rubbish

Did you know?

In its original sense, offal refers to something that has fallen or been cast away from some process of preparation or manufacture, and it has been used to describe such things as the stalks and dust from tobacco leaves, the less valuable portions of an animal hide, the by-products of milling grain, and the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal. The word offal, however, is not an etymological cast-off, but is an English original that arose in the late 14th century as a combination of of (the Middle English spelling of "off") and fall, aptly naming that which "falls off" or is cast aside from something else. Since the late 16th century, offal has also been used as a synonym for trash, garbage, and rubbish.

Synonyms

• chaff
• deadwood
• debris
• dreck
• drek
• dross
• dust
• effluvium
• effluvia
• garbage
• junk
• litter
• offscouring
• raffle
• refuse
• riffraff
• rubbish
• scrap
• spilth
• trash
• truck
• waste

Examples of offal in a Sentence

a pile of offal from the tannery operating in the neighborhood

Recent Examples on the Web

Their red heads are featherless, which prevents offal from fouling head feathers. —Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024

Like other offal meats, the texture softens and becomes more tender after cooking. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024

An estimated 200,000 tons a year of waste -- grease, blood, offal and other such biosolids -- from food processing plants in Arkansas was spread as fertilizer on Missouri pastures and farms, according to Missouri state figures. —Doug Thompson, arkansasonline.com, 14 July 2024

There’s an offal of the day, priced generously to reflect the cheaper cut. —Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from of off + fall

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

offal

noun

of·​fal ˈȯ-fəl 

ˈäf-əl

: the waste or by-product of a process

especially : the inside organs of and parts trimmed from an animal killed and prepared for food

fish offal