the business end
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The end of the tool, etc., with which the work is done.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the business end” mean?
The end of the tool, etc., with which the work is done.
Is “the business end” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.