to see life
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To "knock about" town, where life may be seen at its fullest; to move in smart or fast society.
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 see life” mean?
To "knock about" town, where life may be seen at its fullest; to move in smart or fast society.
Is “to see life” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.