lay off
verb- (of an employer) To dismiss (workers) from employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume or through no fault of the worker, often with a severance package.
- To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.
- To cease, quit, stop (doing something). · Lay off the singing, will you! I'm trying to study.· When are you gonna lay off smoking?
- To stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone; to leave (someone) alone. · Just lay off, okay! I've had enough!· Things have been better since the boss has been laying off a little.
- In painting, to apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat of paint so as to remove visible roller- or brush-marks, commonly using a dry brush; a similar technique, but using a loaded laying-off brush, may produce a smooth coat of paint when using a roller or the usual brush techniques would leave marks. · He shows me how to lay off the paint — and moves his paintbrush across the section he had already painted, again and again.
- To plan out (a navigational course) using a chart.
From the library
Come and lay off your things, Rachel.
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