1 C1 idiomatic informal
To quickly pass a ball or object to a teammate or another person.
"The point guard dished off to the center for an easy layup."
separable
dish off
C1 informal separable transitive
To quickly pass or hand something off to another person, especially in a sports context.
In plain English
To quickly throw or pass something to someone else.
What does "dish off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To hand something over to someone else, often to get rid of a responsibility quickly.
"She dished off the extra work to her colleague before leaving for vacation."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To send something away as if placing it off a dish or plate.
Actually means
To quickly throw or pass something to someone else.
Usage tip
Primarily used in American sports commentary, especially basketball. Rare outside sports contexts. Often used by commentators to describe a quick assist pass.
Words that pair with "dish off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
ball pass assist player teammate
How to conjugate "dish off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dish off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dishes off
he/she/it
Past simple
dished off
yesterday
Past participle
dished off
have + pp
-ing form
dishing off
continuous
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