/bit"euhr end"/ for 1; /bit"euhr end'/ for 2
1. the conclusion of a difficult or unpleasant situation; the last or furthest extremity: Despite the unpleasant scenes in the movie, she insisted on staying until the bitter end.
2. Naut.
a. the inboard end of an anchor chain or cable, secured in the chain locker of a vessel.
b. the end of any chain or cable.
[ 1620-30 in form bitters end; prob. BITT + ER 1 , later taken as BITTER ]