Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Existing or taking place on snow that has not been compacted into tracks.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of snow that has not been compacted by overuse; tends to be more exciting but less regulated and more dangerous.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The key, if you are going to wander off-piste, is to show respect – that's why Clarkson and Turner reckon they haven't been shut down by the official Potter machine.

    How children's books escape the page 2011

  • During ITV1's This Morning shows when Richard went off-piste like this, Judy would kick Richard's leg frantically under the table in an attempt to shut him up; but far, far away in the Canadian outback no one can hear Judy scream.

    Who Do You Think You Are? – Grace Dent's TV OD 2011

  • Many of the Andorran slopes are treeless, but Grau Roig has some nice runs where you can go off-piste among sparse woods.

    Why Skiiing In Andorra Makes For A Great Vacation AP 2011

  • Whereas cabins high in the Alps and other European mountain ranges have long since gone high-tech and receive their supplies by helicopter or via cargo cables, in Slovakia's High Tatras, helicopters are prohibitively expensive and the cabins—used year-round by hikers, climbers and off-piste skiers—aren't connected to the power grid.

    Europe's Last Sherpas Race to the Mountaintop Leos Rousek 2011

  • Corsica might seem a bit off-piste but the wines are increasingly fine and remain excellent value and the island itself is a bewitching spot with snow-capped mountains, rugged granite hills, flower-strewn meadows and pristine sandy beaches.

    Budget wine trips in France 2011

  • Many of the Andorran slopes are treeless, but Grau Roig has some nice runs where you can go off-piste among sparse woods.

    Why Skiiing In Andorra Makes For A Great Vacation AP 2011

  • But—and this is where we wine writers come in—it's always fun to go off-piste, to taste something out of the ordinary, explore a variety that doesn't feature heavily on the wine route, as it were.

    The Hunt for Nebbiolo Will Lyons 2011

  • Rather than going off-piste entirely, Jonny have instead dug deeper into the Beatles/Beach Boys melodies they might ordinarily use.

    This week's new live music 2011

  • Yes, current off-piste lending practices are draconian, but the cure is not to make borrowing easier.

    UK debt misery revealed: tower block where living in the red is a way of life 2011

  • Swiss Zermatt (5cm-125cm) and Wengen (10cm-95cm) improved dramatically, while off-piste in Verbier (13cm-145cm) should be ideal when snowfall stops.

    Skiwatch: New snow offers superb skiing in the Alps 2011

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