last-ditch

last-ditch
last-ditch (adj.) "on the last line of defense," 1715, attributed to William of Orange; if so, originally in a Dutch context.
We have no space to enter into the detail of the heroic struggle maintained by the young stadtholder and his faithful Dutchmen; how they laid their country under water, and successfully kept the powerful invader at bay. Once the contest seemed utterly hopeless. William was advised to compromise the matter, and yield up Holland as the conquest of Louis XIV. "No," replied he; "I mean to die in the last ditch." A speech alone sufficient to render his memory immortal. [Agnes Strickland, "Lives of the Queens of England," London, 1847]

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • last-ditch — last ditcher, n. /last ditch , lahst /, adj. 1. done finally in desperation to avoid defeat, failure, disaster, etc.: a last ditch attempt to avert war. 2. fought with every resource at one s command: a last ditch battle for the pennant. [1905… …   Universalium

  • last-ditch — UK US /ˌlɑːstˈdɪtʃ/ adjective [before noun] ► used to describe an act that is made at the end of a series of failures to solve a problem, and is not expected to succeed: last ditch effort/attempt »They are now involved in a last ditch attempt to… …   Financial and business terms

  • last-ditch — adj a last ditch attempt/effort etc a final attempt to achieve something before it is too late ▪ The negotiators made a last ditch effort to reach an agreement …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • last-ditch — last ,ditch adjective only before noun a last ditch attempt, effort, etc. is a final try at achieving something difficult, when many attempts have already failed …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • last-ditch — A last ditch attempt is a desperate attempt that will probably fail anyway …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • last-ditch — last ditch; last ditch·er; …   English syllables

  • last-ditch — last′ ditch′ adj. constituting a final, desperate effort: a last ditch attempt to avert war[/ex] • Etymology: 1905–10 …   From formal English to slang

  • last-ditch — [adj] last minute desperate, do ordie, eleventh hour, final, frantic, last chance, last gasp, last resort; concept 799 …   New thesaurus

  • last-ditch — last try, desperate attempt, last resort    In a last ditch attempt to save the marriage, he bought her a BMW …   English idioms

  • last-ditch — [last′dich′] adj. made, done, used, etc. in a final, often desperate act of resistance or opposition …   English World dictionary

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