elbow room
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Sufficient space to act in. Out at elbows; said of an estate that is mortgaged.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “elbow room” mean?
Sufficient space to act in. Out at elbows; said of an estate that is mortgaged.
Is “elbow room” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.