setoff

[ set-awf, -of ]

noun

1. something that counterbalances or makes up for something else, as compensation for a loss.
2. Accounting. a counterbalancing debt or claim, especially one that cancels an amount a debtor owes.
3. Also called offset. Architecture.
   1. a reduction in the thickness of a wall.
   2. a flat or sloping projection on a wall, buttress, or the like, below a thinner part.
4. something used to enhance the effect of another thing by contrasting it, as an ornament.
5. Printing. offset ( def 7 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of setoff¹

First recorded in 1615–25; noun use of verb phrase set off