Offset
/ˈɒf.sɛt/noun
A shift or adjustment that counterbalances something; also, a printing process in which ink is transferred indirectly via a roller.
Did you know?The printing sense of *offset* comes from ink being transferred indirectly—an elegant technical twist on the older idea of one thing being set against another.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
settan
“to put, place, cause to sit; to appoint”
Old English
OE
of
“off, away”
Middle English
English
off setten
“to set off; to oppose, counterbalance”
18th Century
English
offset
“something set against another thing to balance or counteract it”
19th Century
English
offset
“a side shoot or branch from a plant; a compensating amount”
20th Century
English
offset printing
“a printing method in which ink is transferred from plate to rubber blanket before the paper”