dry off

verb3

1. •
   To make dry.
2. •
   To become dry.

   • Drying off after the day of surfing in the afternoon summer sun of New Zealand, they remarked to each other how ironic their trip had been so far. — 1966
3. •
   To cease milking a cow in preparation for calving.

   • In an early study with cows producing very little milk at drying off, new infection rates were about equal whether cows were dried off abruptly or after a period of intermittent milking. — 1986