last straw
noun
the last of a succession of irritations, incidents, remarks, etc., that leads to a loss of patience, a disaster, etc.: He has been late before, but this is the last straw.
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Nearby words
last out, last post, last quarter, last resort, last rites, last straw, last straw, the, last supper, last thing, last things, last word
Origin of last straw
First recorded in 1840–50; after the proverb “It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back”
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for last straw
Did we waste time talking about it, discussing our chances, or mildly anathematising our last-straw luck?
Notes of a Camp-Follower on the Western Front|E. W. HornungWith a last-straw expression Mrs. Wyburn drew herself up to her full height.
The Limit|Ada Leverson
British Dictionary definitions for last straw
last straw
noun
the last straw the final irritation or problem that stretches one's endurance or patience beyond the limit
Word Origin for last straw
from the proverb, "It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back"
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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