business end

English

WOTD – 10 September 2024

Etymology

From business (noun) +‎ end (noun).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɪznɪs ˌɛnd/
• IPA^(key): /ˈbɪznɪs ˌɛnd/, /-nɪz-/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: busi‧ness end

Noun

business end (plural business ends) (originally US)

1. The part of a day, event, or place (such as a city or district) used for business activities.

   Hyponym: business district

   • 1836, I[srael] Daniel Rupp, “Ohio”, in The Geographical Catechism of Pennsylvania, and the Western States; […], Harrisburg, Pa.: John Winebrenner, […], →OCLC, page 238:

     The improvements of the town have been nearly stationary for several years past; but the construction of the Ohio Grand canal through it, has given new life and activity to its business end improvements.

   • 1853, [Martha Stone Hubbell], chapter XXIII, in The Shady Side; or, Life in a Country Parsonage […], Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett and Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington; London: Low and Company, →OCLC, page 155:

     The place had risen so rapidly in the hands of its founders, as to make their heads a little unsteady. […] Their minister was a popular man, and they relied on him to carry forward the religious end of the enterprise. The business end,—the heavier,—they were willing to carry themselves.

2. (idiomatic)
   1. The part of an object (chiefly a tool or weapon) that is physically used for its operation, rather than some other part such as the part by which it is held.

      staring down the business end of a [calibre of pistol here]

      The business end of a hammer is known as the head.

      • 1840 June, “[Political Register.] The House of Commons and Its Committees: No. I.”, in William Tait, Christian Isobel Johnstone, editors, Tait’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume VII, number LXXVIII, Edinburgh: William Tait, […]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.; Dublin: John Cumming, →OCLC, page 406, column 2:

        Indeed, it [the Speaker's Gallery] is universally agreed to be a place of a very disagreeable description, though certainly preferable to that in which "Strangers" are placed. You find yourself at so great a distance from the Speaker's, or business end of the House, that you cannot distinctly recognise the features of a single Member.

      • 1962 April, R. K. Evans, “The Acceptance Testing of Diesel Locomotives”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 268:

        Speed by now was now down to 25 m.p.h., but that universal tool, the insulated screwdriver, with its business end gingerly applied to the relay coil, enabled us to keep going as far as Grantham, where a more permanent remedy could be effected.

      • 2015 October 2, Clutch (lyrics and music), “A Quick Death in Texas”, in Psychic Warfare, performed by Clutch, [United States]: Weathermaker Music, →OCLC:

        The preacher stood up from his table, in his right hand he held a bible (hey-hey) / And in his left, the business end of a Winchester rifle

   2. (by extension) The part of an activity, period of time, etc., which is most important and produces the significant result.
      • 1973, Lyall Watson, “The Physics of Life: Life Fields/Brain Waves/Resonance/Biophysics”, in Supernature, New York, N.Y.: Anchor Press/Doubleday, →ISBN, part 1 (Cosmos), page 102:

        There is even an example of convergent evolution at a molecular level in two enzymes, one from soil bacteria and the other from man, which have exactly the same patterns of amino acids at the "business ends."

      • 2018 July 7, Phil McNulty, “FIFA World Cup – Quarter-final: Sweden 0 – 2 England”, in BBC Sport‎^[1], archived from the original on 2023-12-18:

        On this day, with expectation rising and the unmistakable feeling around this sweeping Samara Stadium that the World Cup is really reaching the business end, England delivered.

Translations

part of a day, event, or place (such as a city or district) used for business activities

• Finnish: liikealue (place)
• Galician: please add this translation if you can

part of an object that is physically used for its operation

• Finnish: käyttöpää
• Galician: please add this translation if you can

part of an activity, period of time, etc., which is most important and produces the significant result

• Finnish: kohokohta (fi)
• Galician: please add this translation if you can

See also

• pointy end