to-and-fro

[ too-uhn-froh ]

adjective

1. back-and-forth:

   to-and-fro motion.

noun

, plural to-and-fros.

1. a continuous or regular movement backward and forward; an alternating movement, flux, flow, etc.:

   the to-and-fro of the surf.

to and fro

adjective

1. back and forth
2. here and there

Derived Forms

• ˈtoing and ˈfroing, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of to-and-fro¹

First recorded in 1820–30; adj. and noun use of adv. phrase to and (fro) ( def 2 )

Idioms and Phrases

Back and forth, as in He was like a caged animal, pacing to and fro . Strictly speaking, to means “toward” and fro “away from,” but this idiom is used more vaguely in the sense of “moving alternately in different directions.” [First half of 1300s]

Example Sentences

But among female elephants who have recently birthed a calf, ears are not the only parts that hang low and wobble to-and-fro.

From Slate

The fixture began a turbulent period of to-and-fro between the sides.

From BBC

When the ground began to shake, rocking her bed to-and-fro like a raft in a current, Temilade Openiyi briefly wondered if she was dreaming.

From New York Times

Spine rattling to-and-fro against the rhythms of the road.

From BBC

Trying to predict what will happen is nigh-on impossible in these games but for me it is a case of being excited about seeing how they cope with each other, because it will be to-and-fro between attack and defence.

From BBC