sell-by date

noun

The latest date by which a perishable product should be sold to the public.

“September 9, 2017 - Schlock Mercenary Manifold: This is not a team, Petey. This is just another mass grave. Ewin: Eeew. What's the sell-by date on that manifold? I think it's gone bad.”

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Meanings

nounsell-by date (plural sell-by dates)

plural sell-by dates

  1. The latest date by which a perishable product should be sold to the public.
  2. broadlyidiomaticAn indication that something, or someone, is old and out of date.

    September 9, 2017 - Schlock Mercenary Manifold: This is not a team, Petey. This is just another mass grave. Ewin: Eeew. What's the sell-by date on that manifold? I think it's gone bad.

    2 more examples

    Tony Blair insists on remaining in office well past his sell-by date - yet he can afford to go.

    2007 March, William Keegan, “As Blair contemplates the hereafter, Britain must endure a life in limbo”, in The Guardian Online

    "They have gone past their sell-by date. But the fitters have done an amazing job keeping these units running for as long as they have.

    2021 January 13, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Island Line bids farewell to 1930s "icon of transport"...”, in RAIL, page 8

Translations

Catalan data de caducitat
  • data de caducitatlatest date by which a product can be sold
Danish sidste salgsdato
  • sidste salgsdatolatest date by which a product can be sold
German Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum, MHD
  • Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatumlatest date by which a product can be sold
  • MHDlatest date by which a product can be sold
  • Verfallsdatumlatest date by which a product can be sold
Irish spriocdháta díola
  • spriocdháta díolalatest date by which a product can be sold
Italian data di scadenza
  • data di scadenzalatest date by which a product can be sold
Japanese (包装食品などの)販売有効期限の日付
  • (包装食品などの)販売有効期限の日付latest date by which a product can be sold
Korean 유통 기한
  • 유통 기한latest date by which a product can be sold
Norwegian Bokmål siste salgsdato
  • siste salgsdatolatest date by which a product can be sold
Spanish fecha de caducidad, fecha de vencimiento
  • fecha de caducidadlatest date by which a product can be sold
  • fecha de vencimientolatest date by which a product can be sold
Swedish bäst före-datum
  • bäst före-datumlatest date by which a product can be sold
Cite this entry
APA

sell-by date. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sell-by%20date

MLA

“sell-by date.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sell-by%20date. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sell-by date,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sell-by%20date.

Source: sell-by date on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.