To cast off

Cast Cast (k[.a]st), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cast}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Casting}.] [Cf. Dan. kaste, Icel. & Sw. kasta; perh. akin to L. {gerere} to bear, carry. E. jest.] 1. To send or drive by force; to throw; to fling; to hurl; to impel. [1913 Webster]

Uzziah prepared . . . slings to cast stones. --2 Chron. xxvi. 14. [1913 Webster]

Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. --Acts. xii. 8. [1913 Webster]

We must be cast upon a certain island. --Acts. xxvii. 26. [1913 Webster]

2. To direct or turn, as the eyes. [1913 Webster]

How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me! --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. To drop; to deposit; as, to cast a ballot. [1913 Webster]

4. To throw down, as in wrestling. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

5. To throw up, as a mound, or rampart. [1913 Webster]

Thine enemies shall cast a trench [bank] about thee. --Luke xix. 48. [1913 Webster]

6. To throw off; to eject; to shed; to lose. [1913 Webster]

His filth within being cast. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Neither shall your vine cast her fruit. --Mal. iii. 11 [1913 Webster]

The creatures that cast the skin are the snake, the viper, etc. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

7. To bring forth prematurely; to slink. [1913 Webster]

Thy she-goats have not cast their young. --Gen. xxi. 38. [1913 Webster]

8. To throw out or emit; to exhale. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

This . . . casts a sulphureous smell. --Woodward. [1913 Webster]

9. To cause to fall; to shed; to reflect; to throw; as, to cast a ray upon a screen; to cast light upon a subject. [1913 Webster]

10. To impose; to bestow; to rest. [1913 Webster]

The government I cast upon my brother. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Cast thy burden upon the Lord. --Ps. iv. 22. [1913 Webster]

11. To dismiss; to discard; to cashier. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The state can not with safety cast him. [1913 Webster]

12. To compute; to reckon; to calculate; as, to cast a horoscope. ``Let it be cast and paid.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

You cast the event of war, my noble lord. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

13. To contrive; to plan. [Archaic] [1913 Webster]

The cloister . . . had, I doubt not, been cast for [an orange-house]. --Sir W. Temple. [1913 Webster]

14. To defeat in a lawsuit; to decide against; to convict; as, to be cast in damages. [1913 Webster]

She was cast to be hanged. --Jeffrey. [1913 Webster]

Were the case referred to any competent judge, they would inevitably be cast. --Dr. H. More. [1913 Webster]

15. To turn (the balance or scale); to overbalance; hence, to make preponderate; to decide; as, a casting voice. [1913 Webster]

How much interest casts the balance in cases dubious! --South. [1913 Webster]

16. To form into a particular shape, by pouring liquid metal or other material into a mold; to fashion; to found; as, to cast bells, stoves, bullets. [1913 Webster]

17. (Print.) To stereotype or electrotype. [1913 Webster]

18. To fix, distribute, or allot, as the parts of a play among actors; also to assign (an actor) for a part. [1913 Webster]

Our parts in the other world will be new cast. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

{To cast anchor} (Naut.) See under {Anchor}.

{To cast a horoscope}, to calculate it.

{To cast a} {horse, sheep}, or other animal, to throw with the feet upwards, in such a manner as to prevent its rising again.

{To cast a shoe}, to throw off or lose a shoe, said of a horse or ox.

{To cast aside}, to throw or push aside; to neglect; to reject as useless or inconvenient.

{To cast away}. (a) To throw away; to lavish; to waste. ``Cast away a life'' --Addison. (b) To reject; to let perish. ``Cast away his people.'' --Rom. xi. 1. ``Cast one away.'' --Shak. (c) To wreck. ``Cast away and sunk.'' --Shak.

{To cast by}, to reject; to dismiss or discard; to throw away.

{To cast down}, to throw down; to destroy; to deject or depress, as the mind. ``Why art thou cast down. O my soul?'' --Ps. xiii. 5.

{To cast forth}, to throw out, or eject, as from an inclosed place; to emit; to send out.

{To cast in one's lot with}, to share the fortunes of.

{To cast in one's teeth}, to upbraid or abuse one for; to twin.

{To cast lots}. See under {Lot}.

{To cast off}. (a) To discard or reject; to drive away; to put off; to free one's self from. (b) (Hunting) To leave behind, as dogs; also, to set loose, or free, as dogs. --Crabb. (c) (Naut.) To untie, throw off, or let go, as a rope.

{To cast off copy}, (Print.), to estimate how much printed matter a given amount of copy will make, or how large the page must be in order that the copy may make a given number of pages.

{To cast one's self on} or {To cast one's self upon} to yield or submit one's self unreservedly to, as to the mercy of another.

{To cast out}, to throw out; to eject, as from a house; to cast forth; to expel; to utter.

{To cast the lead} (Naut.), to sound by dropping the lead to the bottom.

{To cast the water} (Med.), to examine the urine for signs of disease. [Obs.].

{To cast up}. (a) To throw up; to raise. (b) To compute; to reckon, as the cost. (c) To vomit. (d) To twit with; to throw in one's teeth. [1913 Webster]