the straw that broke the camel's back en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Possibly from the proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his Gnomologia (1732) as “’Tis the last Feather, that breaks the Horse’s Back.” This comes from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move.
Meanings
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(idiomatic) A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.
As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back, this piece of underground information crushed the sinking spirits of Mr. Dombey.
1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, chapter II, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 13:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| the straw that broke the camel’s back | canonical | lexicographic |
Relateds
the last drop makes the cup run over · last straw · final straw
Synonyms
the stroke that broke the camel's back
Translations (32)
km ចំបើងដែលបំបាក់ខ្នងរបស់សត្វអូដ្ឋ (small additional burden which causes failure) · pl kropla, która przepełnia czarę (small additional burden which causes failure) · es la gota que derramó el vaso (small additional burden which causes failure) · cmn 壓倒駱駝的最後一根草 /压倒骆驼的最后一根草 (small additional burden which causes failure) · gd théid capall don choille ach brisidh aon uallach a chridhe (small additional burden which causes failure) · ca la gota que fa vessar el vas (small additional burden which causes failure) · es la gota que rebalsó el vaso (small additional burden which causes failure) · nl de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen (small additional burden which causes failure) · fr la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase (small additional burden which causes failure) · vi Giọt nước làm tràn ly (small additional burden which causes failure) · tr bardağı taşıran son damla (small additional burden which causes failure) · he הקש ששבר את גב הגמל (small additional burden which causes failure) · eo la guto, kiu superbordigis la vazon (small additional burden which causes failure) · el η σταγόνα που ξεχείλισε το ποτήρι (small additional burden which causes failure) · hu az utolsó csepp a pohárban (small additional burden which causes failure) · cs pohár trpělivosti přetekl (small additional burden which causes failure) · cs číše přetekla (small additional burden which causes failure) · pt a gota que transbordou o copo (small additional burden which causes failure) · it goccia che fa traboccare il vaso (small additional burden which causes failure) · ga buille maraithe na muice (small additional burden which causes failure) · cs poslední kapka (small additional burden which causes failure) · it la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso (small additional burden which causes failure) · es la gota que colmó el vaso (small additional burden which causes failure) · de der Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen bringt (small additional burden which causes failure) · sv droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över (small additional burden which causes failure) · sh ка̑п ко̀ја̄ је прѐлила ча̏шу (small additional burden which causes failure) · sh kȃp kòjā je prèlila čȁšu (small additional burden which causes failure) · fi korsi, joka katkaisee kamelin selän (small additional burden which causes failure) · ro picătura care a umplut paharul (small additional burden which causes failure) · ru ка́пля, перепо́лнившая ча́шу (small additional burden which causes failure) · th ฟางเส้นสุดท้ายที่ทำให้หลังอูฐหัก (small additional burden which causes failure) · is kornið sem fyllti mælinn (small additional burden which causes failure)