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.be-all and end-all n 1. the ultimate aim or justification: to provide help for others is the be-all and end-all of this group. 2. often jocular a person or thing considered to be beyond improvement Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014be?-all` and end?-all` n. the ultimate object. [1595?1605] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.