cast-off

/'kɑ:st'ɔ:f/
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Thân thiện
cast-off

A child wears a cast-off sweater that is too big.

Definition

  1. Adjective:

    • Discarded or thrown away: Describes something that has been rejected, gotten rid of, or is no longer wanted by its previous owner. It often implies the item is used or worn out.
    • Relating to a discarded person or thing: Can describe a person or thing considered useless or unwanted.

  2. Noun:

    • A discarded item: An object that has been thrown away or is no longer used.
    • A rejected or unwanted person: (Less common, sometimes offensive) A person who has been abandoned or rejected by society or a group.
Examples of Usage
  • Adjective:
    • She found a beautiful cast-off chair on the sidewalk.
    • He was wearing his brother's cast-off clothes.
  • Noun:
    • The charity shop is full of cast-offs from people's wardrobes.
    • (Figurative, potentially offensive) He felt like a social cast-off after losing his job.
Advanced Usage
  • "cast-off" as a modifier: Frequently used before a noun to describe its discarded nature.
    • The cast-off toys were donated to the nursery.
  • Used in nautical contexts to describe the act of letting go of ropes or lines, but this is a different verb phrase ("to cast off").
Variants and Related Words
  • Castoff (noun/adjective): An alternative spelling, often written as one word.
    • The attic was full of castoff furniture.
  • To cast off (phrasal verb): The action of discarding something or, in knitting, to finish a piece by securing the stitches.
    • He decided to cast off his old habits. (verb)
    • She learned how to cast off the knitted scarf. (verb)
Synonyms
  • Discarded: Thrown away.
  • Throwaway: Designed to be discarded after use; also used figuratively.
  • Second-hand: Previously owned by someone else (neutral, less negative than ).
  • Rejected: Not accepted or wanted.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Cast off (from the verb 'cast'):
    • To discard or get rid of: It was time to cast off his fears and try again.
    • To set a boat or ship free from its moorings: The crew cast off and began their voyage.
Related Idioms
  • Cast-offs: Often used collectively to refer to unwanted items, especially clothing.
    • She dressed her younger son in the elder one's cast-offs.
cast-off

A child wears a cast-off sweater that is too big.

Adjective
  1. thrown away
    • wearing someone's cast-off clothes
    • throwaway children living on the streets
    • salvaged some thrown-away furniture

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