be all and end all

Dictionary: be all and end all or be-all and end-all (bē'ôl' ənd ĕnd'ôl') pronunciation

n.
The quintessential or all-important element: "Not that the more spectacular athleticism is the be all and end all of free skating. Spins . . . and intricate step sequences are also important" (Howard Bass).

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Idioms: be-all and end-all, the

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The most important element or purpose, as in Buying a house became the be-all and end-all for the newlyweds. Shakespeare used this idiom in Macheth (1:6), where Macbeth muses that "this blow might be the be-all and the end-all" for his replacing Duncan as king. [Late 1500s]

WordNet: be-all and end-all

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim
Synonym: be all and end all

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land end it all diaper bag

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Copyrights:

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more