Definition of "offset" in 英语

noun

1. Anything that acts as counterbalance; a compensating equivalent.

   • Today's victory was an offset to yesterday's defeat.

2. (international trade) A form of countertrade arrangement, in which the seller agrees to purchase within a set time frame products of a certain value from the buying country. This kind of agreement may be used in large international public sector contracts such as arms sales.

3. (c. 1555) A time at which something begins; outset.

4. (printing, often attributive) The offset printing process, in which ink is carried from a metal plate to a rubber blanket and from there to the printing surface.

   • offset lithographs
   • offset process

5. (programming) The difference between a target memory address and a base address.

   • An array of bytes uses its index as the offset, of words a multiple thereof.

6. (signal analysis) The displacement between the base level of a measurement and the signal's real base level.

   • The raw signal data was subjected to a baseline correction process to subtract the sensor's offset and drift variations.

7. The distance by which one thing is out of alignment with another.

   • There is a small offset between the switch and the indicator which some users found confusing.

8. (surveying) A short distance measured at right angles from a line actually run to some point in an irregular boundary, or to some object.

9. An abrupt bend in an object, such as a rod, by which one part is turned aside out of line, but nearly parallel, with the rest; the part thus bent aside.

10. (botany) A short prostrate shoot that takes root and produces a tuft of leaves, etc.

11. A spur from a range of hills or mountains.

12. (architecture) A horizontal ledge on the face of a wall, formed by a diminution of its thickness, or by the weathering or upper surface of a part built out from it; a set-off.

13. (architecture) A terrace on a hillside.

verb

1. (transitive) To counteract or compensate for, by applying a change in the opposite direction.

   • I'll offset the time difference locally.
   • to offset one charge against another

2. (transitive) To place out of line.

3. (transitive) To form an offset in (a wall, rod, pipe, etc.).

adverb

1. Away from or off from the set of a movie, film, video, or play.