wave off

wave off

1. To signal with one's hand for someone or something to stand back or move away. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wave" and "off." The police officer stood at the entrance of the building waving off onlookers and reporters. I had to keep waving the birds off as they tried to get some of the food from our picnic.
2. To dismiss, ignore, or evade something, especially a question. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wave" and "off." The president waved the question off and moved on to the next one. Please don't just wave off this issue during the meeting—people deserve an answer.
3. To signal goodbye to someone as they depart. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wave" and "off." You used to be able to go all the way to the gate of the airplane to wave people off, but now you can't even go through security with them. We all stood outside the house waving off our guests as they drove away.
See also: off, wave
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

wave someone or something off

to make a signal with the hand for someone or something to remain at a distance. There was someone standing in front of the bridge, waving everyone off. The bridge must have collapsed. He waved off all the traffic.
See also: off, wave
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

wave off

v.
1. To dismiss or refuse something or someone by waving the hand or arm: The celebrity waved off our invitation to join our group. The bus driver waved us off and refused to stop.
2. Sports To cancel or nullify something by waving the arms, usually from a crossed position: The official waved off the goal because time had run out. The referee waved the penalty off after reviewing the play.
3. To acknowledge someone's departure by waving the hand or arm: We went down to the train station to wave off the politician. We waved our guests off at the airport.
See also: off, wave
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • back into
  • back into (someone or something)
  • ask back
  • not do (someone or oneself) any favors
  • rescue from
  • rescue from (someone or something)
  • identify with
  • attune to
  • orient to
  • orient to (something)
References in periodicals archive
The demonstration unit currently controls a cell phone mounted in the vehicle and allows drivers to literally wave off incoming calls with a dismissive motion.
Gesture interfaces for automotive > control: (beyond digital expletives). (Digital-Domain)
This leaves them at sea, and being busy people themselves who don't have time to go through a thick school text - which they think should be handled by the school administrators anyway - they shrug their shoulders and wave off any interest.
No "perverse softness"
Nobody wants to be told to wave off when the landing environment is in sight, especially when you're in position to make a beautiful touchdown that you know would make the saltiest of pilots envious.
"Wave off" means "wave off"
Picture shirt helps rescue workers LAST year, American Garrett McNamara set a world record when he surfed a 90ft wave off the coast of Praia do Norte in Portugal.
Wave hello to new record? Tyneside surfer dreaming of a world beater
Now it's time to wave off another noughties phenomenon, Ugly Betty.
The Best DRAMA; YOUR TV
Liverpool's Lord Mayor, Cllr Mike Storey, will wave off 500 junior Santas who are competing in the Mini Dash.
JOIN THE RED AND BLUE SANTA DASH
I was also on board a Mersey ferry to 'wave off ' the QM2 on Tuesday evening and had no issue whatsoever with missing the ship actually departing.
Great time on ferry; LETTERS to the EDITOR
It is quite fitting that we are all given a last chance to wave off Teflon Tony.
Letter: The BIG issue - Just go now, Blair
Daniel's father will take part in the event, driving the second leg in a yellow Reliant Regal van, and Daniel will wave off the cars on Sunday morning.
Around Wales : Denbighshire
At the time, I didn't understand wind-over-the-deck requirements, and whether you can ever take your own wave off. Under most circumstances the answer is no, but if you have an issue which alters your configuration, in a way that paddles does not know, it is acceptable to wave off.
Who needs ailerons?
The small band of residents turned out, despite the wet and windy weather, to wave off the World Unicorn, Swan Hunter's 257,000-tonne tanker.
Stormy start for 70s supertanker