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Definition of offa in English English dictionary
- off of
- died July 796 One of the most powerful kings in Anglo-Saxon England. He became king of Mercia (757-796) after seizing power during a civil war. He extended his rule over most of southern England and married his daughters to the rulers of Wessex and Northumbria. Eager to form European diplomatic ties, Offa signed a commercial treaty with Charlemagne (796) and allowed the pope to increase his control over the English church. He built Offa's Dyke to divide Mercia from Welsh lands
- Offa's Dyke
- a long wall of earth, originally over 100 miles long, put up to mark the border between Wales and the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, by King Offa of Mercia in the 8th century. Parts of it can still be seen. Earthwork in western England. It stretches 169 mi (270 km) from the River Severn near Chepstow to the seaward end of the River Dee's estuary. It was built by Offa of Mercia to fortify the boundary between his kingdom and the lands of the Welsh; for centuries it marked the England-Wales boundary. It consisted of a plain bank (in places some 60 ft [18 m] high) and a ditch (12 ft [3.7 m] deep). Many sections remain, and a walking path now runs its length