1
general::
Phrase(s): cast off (from something)
[for the crew of a boat or ship] to push away from the dock or pier; to begin the process of navigating a boat or ship. • The crew cast off from the dock. • It’s time to cast off., Phrase(s): cast something off
Go to cast someone or something aside.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
1. Discard, reject, as in He cast off his clothes and jumped in the pool. This term was already used figuratively in Miles Coverdale's translation of the Bible (1535): "Thy mother . . . that hath cast off her housebonds and her children" (Ezekiel 16:45). 2. Let go, set loose, as in He cast off the line and the boat drifted from the dock. [Second half of 1600s] 3. In knitting, to finish the last row of stitches, that is, take the stitches off the needle and form a selvage. For example, Your sweater is finished; I just have to cast off. [Late 1800s] Also see CAST ON, def. 1.
American Heritage Idioms