drain off

drain off

1. To flow or move off of something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "drain" and "off." Now that we've fixed the gutters, the rain should drain off of our roof nicely. Don't worry, once the rain stops, all of this water will drain off the sidewalk. If you don't get the doctor to drain off some of that fluid, your knee will swell up even more in flight.

2. To cause a liquid to flow or move off of something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "drain" and "off." Drain off some of that excess water to free up more space in the pot for the other ingredients. When I make this soup, I always have to drain off the broth because my daughter only likes the noodles. Hey, I don't want the pasta to get soggy, so can you go drain off the water?

See also: drain, off

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

drain something off something

 and drain something off to cause or permit something

to flow from the surface or contents of something. Drain some of the broth off the chicken. Drain off the fat at the bottom of the pan.

See also: drain, off

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.