English Reference
Noun

offshoot

n.
C1 Advanced US /ˈɔfˌʃut/ UK /ˈɒfʃuːt/ off·shoot UK spelling offshoots

n.something that grows or develops from a larger thing. It can be a physical part of a plant or a new idea that comes from an older one.

n.a secondary growth or development that arises from a primary source. Often used to describe a branch of a plant or a derivative concept, organization, or movement.


SIMPLE

The new company is an offshoot of the original firm.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community garden was an offshoot of a national initiative to promote urban farming.

COMPLEX

The political movement began as a minor offshoot of the larger party but eventually gained enough momentum to challenge the establishment.

In 1982 Stein launched an offshoot above another pub, the Latchmere in Battersea, where I still recall Susannah York as the Amazonian protagonist of Kleist’s Penthesilea.

The Guardian· 9 Sept 2026

From off- + shoot.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated