- to-and-fro
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I. noun
Date: 1553
activity involving alternating movement in opposite directions <the busy to-and-fro of the holiday shoppers> II. adjective Date: 1749 forward and backward
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
to-and-fro
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to-and-fro — I. | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ noun ( s) Etymology: from the adverb phrase to and fro 1. a. : fluctuation, vacillation … Useful english dictionary
to and fro — {adv. phr.} Forward and back again and again. * /Father pushed Judy in the swing, and she went to and fro./ * /Busses go to and fro between the center of the city and the city limits/ * /The man walked to and fro while he waited for his phone… … Dictionary of American idioms
to and fro — {adv. phr.} Forward and back again and again. * /Father pushed Judy in the swing, and she went to and fro./ * /Busses go to and fro between the center of the city and the city limits/ * /The man walked to and fro while he waited for his phone… … Dictionary of American idioms
To and fro — To To (?, emphatic or alone, ?, obscure or unemphatic), prep. [AS. t[=o]; akin to OS. & OFries. t[=o], D. toe, G. zu, OHG. zuo, zua, z[=o], Russ. do, Ir. & Gael. do, OL. do, du, as in endo, indu, in, Gr. ?, as in ? homeward. [root]200. Cf. {Too} … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
To-and-fro — To To (?, emphatic or alone, ?, obscure or unemphatic), prep. [AS. t[=o]; akin to OS. & OFries. t[=o], D. toe, G. zu, OHG. zuo, zua, z[=o], Russ. do, Ir. & Gael. do, OL. do, du, as in endo, indu, in, Gr. ?, as in ? homeward. [root]200. Cf. {Too} … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
to-and-fro — /tooh euhn froh /, adj., n., pl. to and fros. adj. 1. back and forth: to and fro motion. n. 2. a continuous or regular movement backward and forward; an alternating movement, flux, flow, etc.: the to and fro of the surf. [1820 30; adj. and n. use … Universalium
to and fro — to and fro1 [ ,tu ən frou ] adverb in one direction and then back again: BACKWARD AND FORWARD: The swing rocked to and fro. to and fro to and fro 2 [ ,tu ən frou ] noun singular a continuous movement of people or things between different places:… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
to and fro — I UK [ˌtuː ən ˈfrəʊ] / US [ˌtu ən ˈfroʊ] adverb in one direction and then back again The swing rocked to and fro. II UK [ˌtuː ən ˈfrəʊ] / US [ˌtu ən ˈfroʊ] noun [singular] a continuous movement of people or things between different places the… … English dictionary
to and fro — to and fro1 [ˌtu: ən ˈfrəu US ˈfrou] adv if someone or something moves to and fro, they move in one direction and then back again >to and fro adj to and fro 2 to and fro2 n [U] informal continuous movement of people or things from place to… … Dictionary of contemporary English
to\ and\ fro — adv. phr. Forward and back again and again. Father pushed Judy in the swing, and she went to and fro. Busses go to and fro between the center of the city and the city limits The man walked to and fro while he waited for his phone call. Compare:… … Словарь американских идиом
to and fro — 1 adverb if someone or something moves to and fro, they move in one direction and then back again: People walking to and fro on the promenade. to and fro adjective 2 noun (U) informal continuous movement of people or things from place to place… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
