The Collaborative International Dictionary
Off \Off\, prep. Not on; away from; as, to be off one's legs or off the bed; two miles off the shore. --Addison. Off hand. See Offhand. Off side (Football), out of play; -- said when a player has got in front of the ball in a scrimmage, or when the ball has been last touched by one of his own side behind him. To be off color,
to be of a wrong color.
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to be mildly obscene.
To be off one's food or To be off one's feed, (Colloq.) to have no appetite; to be eating less than usual.
Off \Off\, a.
On the farther side; most distant; on the side of an animal or a team farthest from the driver when he is on foot; in the United States, the right side; as, the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse or ox; the off leg.
Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from his post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent; as, he took an off day for fishing: an off year in politics. ``In the off season.''
--Thackeray.-
Designating a time when one's performance is below normal; as, he had an off day. Off side.
The right hand side in driving; the farther side. See Gee.
(Cricket) See Off, n.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context cricket English) The side of the pitch away from the batsman's legs as he takes his stance at the wicket; the right side for a right-handed batsman. 2 (context horsemanship English) The right-hand side of a horse.
Usage examples of "off side".
The League Commission wanted to remain a little off side, so as not to get too closely involved with a monarchy that was often oppressive.
The road widened for the curve and they swung out to pass on her off side.
On the straight stretch the van nosed up again on the off side and she felt a bump.
Marines piled out the hatches on the off side, the south side, and as they did, rockets hissed from that side too, into the open hatches, while blast hoses and automatic rifles poured blast slugs into the marines.