What does the term "repeater offset" mean?

A repeater receives a user's signal on one frequency and simultaneously retransmits it on another frequency. This allows the repeater to operate continuously without interfering with its own reception. The "repeater offset" is simply the mathematical difference between its transmit and receive frequencies. For example, on the 2-meter band, this standard offset is typically 600 kHz. The distractors involve time delays, squelch tails, or maintenance fees, none of which describe the frequency separation required for full-duplex repeater operation.