throw-off

Noun

throw-off (plural throw-offs)

1. (UK) A start in a hunt or a race.
   • We had not covered much more than three miles since the throw-off; but horses and hounds already exhibited a most interesting and picturesque tail.1870 July, Wat Bradwood, “Our Drag”, in The Sporting magazine, volume 69, page 122
   • The sixty horsemen spread away for the start, the two pretty Amazons set their lips, a mob of peasants in blue blouses form a noisy fringing to the phaetons and barouches which have come to see the throw-off, and conspicuous amidst all this we have M. Pistache's roan, which, unable to stand the...1874, Every Saturday, page 136
2. A race in which a contestant is paid to deliberately lose.
   • Since the spring of 1863 there has never been a throw-off race, nor shall there ever be a race on the track for hippodroming; all must be on the square, as the club started it for their own fun and to work their horses on.1864, Spirit of the Times and the New York Sportsman, page 353
   • By many it was thought to be a "throw off" race, and that Selaya did not do his best – I was inclined also to the opinion, although I may have been wrong1973, Alfred Doten, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, The Journals of Alfred Doten, 1849-1903, page 630
3. A control that engages or disengages part of the mechanism on a device without having to turn the device off.
   • I have seen a corporation erect a $60,000 building, including $500 expende in decorating the business office, and still do its job printing on ancient Degeners, unprovided with throw-offs or ink fountains, while the business manager was perplexed to see his competitors, provided with modern...1890, Karnac, “What I have seen”, in Inland Printer, American Lithographer, volume 8, page 868
   • In air-brake mechanism, the combination, with the air-pump of a connecting-arm adapted to engage the piston-rod of said pump, a shifting frame for operating said connecting-arm, a throw-off bar for throwing said connecting arm out of engagement with said piston-rod, a pivot-rod and pivot-pin for...1892 February 9, Jacob B. Knudsen, “Air-Brake”, in Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, page 679
4. A throw taken to resume play, such as after a goal or at the start of a period.
   • When a player of the side having the throw-off at the center, crosses the halfway line ahead of the ball, he is "off-side" and the ball shall be called back for a second throw from a new line five yards back of the halfway line.1929, American Physical Education Review - Volume 34, page 306
   • The teams shall alternate throw-offs at the beginning of each period.1979, Craig T. Norback, Peter G. Norback, The New American Guide to Athletics, Sports & Recreation, page 222
5. Income minus expenses and depreciation (before tax).
   • In the case of the single investment, both the tax payments and the quasi-rent throw-off would be only for the single investment being evaluated.1968, Richard Leo Pollock, The Tax Depreciation Problem, page 289
   • If the expanded fund throw-offs "reflect success" of a company in terms of "profits," they should be shipped back to the Internal Revenue Service, to the company's employees, and to the company's supply vendors to whom they belong, from whom they have been borrowed by the company, and whose claims...1975, Allan Craig, Counting Things and Magic Rings, page 150
6. (broadly) A discount on a debt or invoice due to a problem with the asset being paid for.
   • Then there is, I think, $25,000 extra allowed in the appropriation to pay for extra service at the rate of 4 cents per mile, where the amount of service is very great and the number of throw-offs very great.1913, United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Postage on Second-Class Mail Matter and Compensation for Transportation of Mail, Railway Mail Pay
   • I was a little impressed with the categorical list of throw-offs that you wanted taken out of this bill.1950, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking and Currency, Bank Holding Bill, page 267
7. The act of flinging or throwing something off.
   • Too much belt dressing gradually builds up lumps on belt and pulley surfaces, causes belt throw-offs, and may break belt lacing.1939, Leaflets, with Contents
   • Although the dishpan is of small diameter, this irregular throw-off of ice could contribute to propeller unbalance in icing conditions particularly at higher fan speeds.1947, United States. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Technical Note - National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, page 9
8. Something that is flung or thrown off.
   • This oil throwing condition had two principle aspects: first, the oil was subjected to considerable windage by the action of the crankshaft; secondly, since it is necessary to circulate a large amount of oil through the engine due to large bearing clearances required for lubrication and cooling...1995, Joseph Harralson ·, Design of Racing and High Performance Engines, page 230
   • Many stellar mappers consider the planet to be one of a chain of widely spaced bridge stars linking the spiral arms of our galaxy with the Magellanic Clouds, which are throw-offs from our main system.2012, George Zebrowski, The Omega Point
9. The deflection of a projectile at an angle.
   • You have to judge the angle of the throw-off and the impact point.1904, John Patrick Mannock, S. A. Mussabini, Billiards Expounded to All Degrees of Amateur Players, page 305
   • The present study investigates the effects of in bore-yaw phenomenon on lateral throw-off and aerodynamic jump behavior for small caliber rotational symmetric (both in configuration and mass distribution) projectiles launched horizontally at supersonic firing speeds and various altitudes from...2011, D. Gkritzapis, E. Panagiotopoulos, “In-Bore Yaw Effects on Lateral throwoff and Aerodynamic Jump Behavior for Small Caliber Projectiles Firing Sidewise from Air Vehicles”, in Ernest Baker...
10. Something that has been discarded; a castoff.
    • I say the younger Senators who got the throw-offs of everybody else.1947, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Appropriations, Hearings, page 2
    • They returned home laden with throw-offs : the old clothes which the Jews had given them.2001, Elizabeth A. Wheeler, Uncontained: Urban Fiction in Postwar America, page 186
11. A red herring; something intended to throw people off.
    • To protect against sign stealing, I employ a lot of what we call 'throw-offs', gestures after I have already given the sign which mean nothing but may fool the foe into thinking that one of them is a sign.1952, Collier's Once a Week - Volume 130, page 65
    • He goes through a whole series of fake movements which make him look as if itching powder had been dumped inside his shirt, and mixed in with all the "throw-offs" is the genuine sign.1957 April, Stanley Pashko, “Inside Baseball”, in Boys' Life, volume 47, number 4, page 74
12. Something that is done, made, or said informally, on the side, or off-the-cuff.
    • Slight plays like Die Geschwister, or the brief comedies like Der Bürgergeneral, although based on potentially important Goethean themes, remain mere sketches from an artist's notebook; whilst the musical pieces and entertainments, brillian and charming, no doubt, are clever throw-offs of an...1970, Ronald Peacock, Goethe's Major Plays, page 207
    • The third line should be a throw-off, e.g.: 'Hello.' 'Hello.' 'Groovy.' 'Yeah.' 'The lighting, I mean.' 'Oh, I thought you meant the music,'1975, Eric Berne, What Do You Say After You Say Hello?:, page 485
13. A byproduct, spinoff, or incidental creation.
    • In terms of the way this question is worded, in responding to it I would have to say that nothing but the most liberal approach should be followed in order to advance this industry and its throw-offs to the United States and world economies.1992, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services, Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1993, page 378
    • Endless numbers of local variants, genetic throw-offs, or accidental recombinations provide individuality and occasionally superior quality.2011, Philip M. Wagner, Grapes into Wine, page 21