lay off

Short definition from Wiktionary

Verb

1. 1
   (of an employer) To dismiss (workers) from employment, e.g. at a time of low business volume or through no fault of the worker, often with a severance package.
2. 2
   To place all or part of a bet with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.
3. 3
   To cease, quit, stop (doing something).
4. 4
   To stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone; to leave (someone) alone.
5. 5
   In painting, to apply gentle strokes to smooth a wet coat of paint so as to remove visible roller- or brush-marks, commonly using a dry brush; a similar technique, but using a loaded laying-off brush, may produce a smooth coat of paint when using a roller or the usual brush techniques would leave marks.
6. 6
   To plan out (a navigational course) using a chart.
7. 7
   simple past of lie off

Noun

1. 1
   Alternative spelling of layoff.