to break the camel's back
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To pile on one thing after another till at last the limit is reached and a catastrophe or break-down caused. The proverb is "It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back." See STRAW.
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 the camel's back” mean?
To pile on one thing after another till at last the limit is reached and a catastrophe or break-down caused. The proverb is "It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back." See STRAW.
Is “to break the camel's back” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.