Lexic.us

Definition of Offing

1. Noun. The near or foreseeable future. "There was a wedding in the offing"

2. Noun. The part of the sea that can be seen from the shore and is beyond the anchoring area. "There was a ship in the offing"

Definition of Offing

1. n. That part of the sea at a good distance from the shore, or where there is deep water and no need of a pilot; also, distance from the shore; as, the ship had ten miles offing; we saw a ship in the offing.

Definition of Offing

1. Noun. (nautical) The area of the sea in which a ship can be seen in the distance from land, excluding the parts nearest the shore, and beyond the anchoring ground. ¹

2. Noun. (nautical) The distance that a ship at sea keeps away from land, often because of navigational dangers, fog and other hazards; a position at a distance from shore. ¹

3. Noun. (figuratively) The foreseeable future. ''Chiefly in the phrase'' '''in the offing'''. ¹

4. Verb. (present participle of off) ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Offing

1. the near future [n -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Offing

officiates officiating officiation officiations officiator officiators officinal officinals officious officiously

officiousness officiousnesses offie offies offing (current term) offings offish offishly offishness offishnesses

offkey offlead offlet offline offlist offload offloaded offloader offloaders

Literary usage of Offing

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Boyer's French Dictionary: Comprising All the Additions and Improvements of by Abel Boyer (1833)
"Mar. offin?, main sen. I* cfar , the offing. An large, in the offing. аи ... La mer au large est très-belle, there is no sea in the offing. ..."

2. A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in by John Pinkerton (1811)
"And the ifland of Engano lies in the offing, about 20 leagues from it. It is an ifland about three leagues long, uninhabited, ..."

3. A Historical Collection from Official Records, Files, &c., of the Part by Royal Ralph Hinman (1842)
"Several ships are in the offing ; one is in a.-, a flag. ... He also stated, that there was then in the offing, by the best intelligence, thirty.six ships, ..."

4. Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North-west Passage from by William Edward Parry (1824)
"Many foxes caught—Continued open Kater in the offing—Partial disruption of the Ice in the Bay—Meteorological phenomena and temperature of animals—Arrival of ..."

5. The Private Journal of Captain G. F. Lyon, of H. M. S. Hecla, During the by George Francis Lyon (1824)
"... out of Lyon Inlet—Open water seen, and an offing made— Passage down Hudson-s Strait and across the Atlantic—Arrival and hospitable reception at Lerwick. ..."

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