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
Filled with cast-off IFs who spend their days participating in such activities as group therapy and water aerobics, it’s presided over by elderly teddy bear Lewis (the late Louis Gossett Jr., delivering a lovely voice performance). Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024 The latter is dressed in a court jester’s costume that looks like a cast-off from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cast-off 

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 1 Jun. 2024.

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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