to break off short
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Abruptly, without warning, but completely.
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 “to break off short” mean?
Abruptly, without warning, but completely.
Is “to break off short” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.