cast off

B2 · Upper Intermediate

phr.v. to untie the ropes holding a boat to a dock so that it can sail away.

phr.v. to release the lines securing a vessel to a fixed point, such as a wharf or buoy, to allow it to get underway. Ambitransitive.

“The captain gave the order to cast off just as the sun began to rise.”

“After the final passengers boarded, the crew cast off the stern lines and the ferry drifted slowly away from the pier.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

phr.v. to finish the last row of a piece of knitting so the stitches do not come apart.

phr.v. to complete the final row of stitches in knitting and remove them from the needle in a way that prevents unravelling.

“Once you reach the desired length, you need to cast off to finish the scarf.”

“She spent the evening casting off the sleeves of the sweater, careful to keep the tension even so the edge wouldn't pucker.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical · Archaic

phr.v. to calculate how much space a piece of writing will take when it is printed.

phr.v. to estimate the amount of physical space or number of pages a manuscript will occupy when set in type.

“The editor had to cast off the manuscript to see if it would fit in the magazine.”

“Before the advent of digital layout software, compositors had to manually cast off every page to ensure the text block was balanced.”