be all and end all

be all and end all

or be-all and end-all  (bē′ôl′ ənd ĕnd′ôl′)

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).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

be all and end all - the essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim; "profit is the be-all and end-all of business" be-all and end-all component, element, factor, ingredient, constituent - an abstract part of something; "jealousy was a component of his character"; "two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony"; "the grammatical elements of a sentence"; "a key factor in her success"; "humor: an effective ingredient of a speech"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.