be all and end all or be-all and end-all (b??ôl? ?nd ?nd?ôl?)n. The quintessential or all-important element: “Not that the more spectacular athleticism is the be all and end all of free skating. Spins … and intricate step sequences are also important” (Howard Bass).American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.