off
ɒf
The moment it comes loose, it goes dark
The picture Something that was attached breaks contact and comes loose. Off is contact that breaks; on is contact that holds.
Where the picture shows up in off
-
power breaks contact
Turn off the machine before you clean it.
tɜːrn ɔːf ðə məˈʃiːn bɪˈfɔːr juː kliːn ɪt
Switch the machine off before cleaning it.
The switch flips and the current to the machine is cut clean
-
cut away from the price
Ten percent off today only.
ten pərˈsent ɔːf təˈdeɪ ˈoʊnli
Ten percent off, today only.
Ten percent is sliced off the full price and set aside
Ten percent is cut away from the full price.
-
cut loose from work
I'm off tomorrow.
aɪm ɔːf təˈmɑːroʊ
I'm not working tomorrow.
Tomorrow is snipped off the line of workdays and left standing apart
-
comes off the shirt
The button came off my shirt.
ðə ˈbʌtən keɪm ɔːf maɪ ʃɜːrt
A button came off my shirt.
The thread snaps and the button drops away from the shirt
-
leaves the ground
The plane took off on time.
ðə pleɪn tʊk ɔːf ɑːn taɪm
The plane left on time.
The wheels running along the runway break contact with the ground
All of it in one picture
Off is one picture: something attached breaking loose. Break the current and the machine is off; cut a slice off the price and it is a discount; cut a day loose from work and it is a day off; the button comes off the shirt; the wheels come off the ground and the plane takes off. The moment contact breaks, the connection goes with it — that is the feeling under every off.