See the straw that broke the camel's back on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "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.",
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"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
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"derived": [
{
"word": "final straw"
},
{
"word": "last straw"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, chapter II, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 13:",
"text": "As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back, this piece of underground information crushed the sinking spirits of Mr. Dombey.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"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."
],
"id": "en-the_straw_that_broke_the_camel's_back-en-noun-Y7h4HvD5",
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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."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "the stroke that broke the camel's back"
}
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"translations": [
{
"code": "ar",
"lang": "Arabic",
"note": "اَلْقَشَّة اَلَّتِي قَصَمَت ظَهْر اَلْبِعِير (al-qašša allatī qaṣamat ẓahr al-biʕīr) (literal translation)",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la gota que fa vessar el vas"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "壓倒駱駝的最後一根草"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "yādǎo luòtuó de zuìhòu yī gēn cǎo",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "压倒骆驼的最后一根草"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "poslední kapka"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "číše přetekla"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "pohár trpělivosti přetekl"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la guto, kiu superbordigis la vazon"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "korsi, joka katkaisee kamelin selän"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"english": "the drop of water that makes the vase overflow",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase"
},
{
"code": "de",
"english": "the drop that makes the barrel overflow",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "der Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen bringt"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "i stagóna pou xecheílise to potíri",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "η σταγόνα που ξεχείλισε το ποτήρι"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "hakásh sheshavár ét gáv hagamál",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "הקש ששבר את גב הגמל"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "az utolsó csepp a pohárban"
},
{
"code": "it",
"english": "the drop of water that makes the glass overflow",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "goccia che fa traboccare il vaso"
},
{
"code": "km",
"lang": "Khmer",
"roman": "châmbaeungdêlbâmbakkhnângrô-bâssâtʼot",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "ចំបើងដែលបំបាក់ខ្នងរបស់សត្វអូដ្ឋ"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "kropla, która przepełnia czarę"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"english": "the drop that spills over the glass",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "a gota que transbordou o copo"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"english": "the drop that filled the glass",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "picătura care a umplut paharul"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"english": "the drop that made the bowl overflow",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "káplja, perepólnivšaja čášu",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "ка́пля, перепо́лнившая ча́шу"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"english": "the colt will go to the forest but one burden will break his heart",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "théid capall don choille ach brisidh aon uallach a chridhe"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"Cyrillic",
"feminine"
],
"word": "ка̑п ко̀ја̄ је прѐлила ча̏шу"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"Roman",
"feminine"
],
"word": "kȃp kòjā je prèlila čȁšu"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la gota que colmó el vaso"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "ser la gota que colma el vaso"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la gota que derramó el vaso"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "ฟางเส้นสุดท้ายที่ทำให้หลังอูฐหัก"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"english": "the last drop that makes the glass overflow",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "bardağı taşıran son damla"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"english": "the last drop that makes the glass",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "Giọt nước làm tràn ly"
}
],
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"Straw that broke the camel's back",
"Thomas Fuller (writer)"
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"word": "the straw that broke the camel's back"
}
{
"derived": [
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"word": "final straw"
},
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"word": "last straw"
}
],
"etymology_text": "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.",
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"ref": "1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, chapter II, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 13:",
"text": "As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back, this piece of underground information crushed the sinking spirits of Mr. Dombey.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"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."
],
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"word": "the stroke that broke the camel's back"
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"translations": [
{
"code": "ar",
"lang": "Arabic",
"note": "اَلْقَشَّة اَلَّتِي قَصَمَت ظَهْر اَلْبِعِير (al-qašša allatī qaṣamat ẓahr al-biʕīr) (literal translation)",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la gota que fa vessar el vas"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "壓倒駱駝的最後一根草"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "yādǎo luòtuó de zuìhòu yī gēn cǎo",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "压倒骆驼的最后一根草"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "poslední kapka"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "číše přetekla"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "pohár trpělivosti přetekl"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la guto, kiu superbordigis la vazon"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "korsi, joka katkaisee kamelin selän"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"english": "the drop of water that makes the vase overflow",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase"
},
{
"code": "de",
"english": "the drop that makes the barrel overflow",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "der Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen bringt"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "i stagóna pou xecheílise to potíri",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "η σταγόνα που ξεχείλισε το ποτήρι"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"roman": "hakásh sheshavár ét gáv hagamál",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "הקש ששבר את גב הגמל"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "az utolsó csepp a pohárban"
},
{
"code": "it",
"english": "the drop of water that makes the glass overflow",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "goccia che fa traboccare il vaso"
},
{
"code": "km",
"lang": "Khmer",
"roman": "châmbaeungdêlbâmbakkhnângrô-bâssâtʼot",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "ចំបើងដែលបំបាក់ខ្នងរបស់សត្វអូដ្ឋ"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "kropla, która przepełnia czarę"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"english": "the drop that spills over the glass",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "a gota que transbordou o copo"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"english": "the drop that filled the glass",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "picătura care a umplut paharul"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"english": "the drop that made the bowl overflow",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "káplja, perepólnivšaja čášu",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "ка́пля, перепо́лнившая ча́шу"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"english": "the colt will go to the forest but one burden will break his heart",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "théid capall don choille ach brisidh aon uallach a chridhe"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"Cyrillic",
"feminine"
],
"word": "ка̑п ко̀ја̄ је прѐлила ча̏шу"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"Roman",
"feminine"
],
"word": "kȃp kòjā je prèlila čȁšu"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la gota que colmó el vaso"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "ser la gota que colma el vaso"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "la gota que derramó el vaso"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "ฟางเส้นสุดท้ายที่ทำให้หลังอูฐหัก"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"english": "the last drop that makes the glass overflow",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "bardağı taşıran son damla"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"english": "the last drop that makes the glass",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "small additional burden which causes failure",
"word": "Giọt nước làm tràn ly"
}
],
"word": "the straw that broke the camel's back"
}
Download raw JSONL data for the straw that broke the camel's back meaning in All languages combined (9.0kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (d49d402 and a5af179). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.