What does ‘kill two birds with one stone’ mean?
To “kill two birds with one stone” means to achieve two aims with a single action. The phrase is proverbial in English by the 17th century. Brewer's records the sentiment as an old proverb without fixing a single origin.
Origin
- The phrase is proverbial in English by the 17th century. Brewer's records the sentiment as an old proverb without fixing a single origin.
How to use it
- Used approvingly of efficient planning; some speakers now avoid it as violent-sounding.
- Example: I picked up groceries and dropped off the mail — killed two birds with one stone.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.