| siphon off siphon off (something) to take something that was intended for someone or something else. The dictator and his close friends siphoned off up to 20 percent of the annual budget. The donated food was mostly siphoned off and sold, while the needy got almost nothing. Usage notes: sometimes used without off: A third-party candidate siphoned southern support. She siphoned more than $15,000 from a patient's trust fund. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of siphon (= a tube used to move liquid from one container to another) |