Dictionary

terminus en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɜːmɪnəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈtər.mə.nəs/ (General-American)
• /ˈtər.mɪ.nəs/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *terh₂-? Proto-Indo-European *ter-? Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ Proto-Italic *termn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *term(e)nos Latin terminuslbor. English terminus Learned borrowing from Latin terminus (“boundary, limit”). Doublet of term, Terminus, and termon.

Meanings

1. The end or final point of something.
   • The river reached its terminus at the wide delta near the sea.
2. The end point of a transportation system, or the town or city in which it is located.
   • My brother supposes they must have filled outside London, for at that time the furious terror of the people had rendered the central termini impossible. 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 171:
   • The arrangement for certain long-distance trains to call at suburban stations (saving passengers the trouble of journeying to the termini), which proved popular last year, is being extended. 1951 June, “British Railways Summer Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 419:
   • Thirty-five years ago, many journeys around London meant having to pass through the centre of the capital. That's no longer the case, which takes real pressure off the city's termini as well as underground routes such as the Circle Line. 2020 May 20, Paul Bigland, “East London Line's renaissance”, in Rail, page 49:
   • Wuhan is the terminus for cruises to the Yanzi^([sic – meaning Yangtze]) River gorges. 1991, “China”, in All-Asia Guide, volume III, Hongkong: Review Publishing, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 45:
3. (obsolete) A boundary or border, or a post or stone marking such a boundary.
   • A bronz statue marked the terminus of the king's dominion.

Forms

Antonyms

origin

Deriveds

C-terminus · N-terminus · carboxy-terminus

Descendants

terminus

Relateds

terminus ante quem · terminus post quem · termination · terminal · terminus ad quem · non-terminus · terminate · terminus a quo · terminus technicus

Translations (34)

fr terminus (end point of a transport system) · pl punkt końcowy (end or final point) · sv ändhållplats (end point of a transport system) · fi päätepysäkki (end point of a transport system) · pl przystanek końcowy (end point of a transport system) · pl stacja końcowa (end point of a transport system) · fi pääteasema (end point of a transport system) · sv ändstation (end point of a transport system) · da endestation (end point of a transport system) · fi päätepiste (end or final point) · ro terminus (end point of a transport system) · es término (end or final point) · de Endstation (end point of a transport system) · bg крайна спирка (end point of a transport system) · ja 終点 (end point of a transport system) · mt venda (end point of a transport system) · pl granica (boundary or border, or a post or stone marking such a boundary) · it capolinea (end point of a transport system) · bg крайна точка (end or final point) · hu végállomás (end point of a transport system) · hy վերջնակետ (end point of a transport system) · sv slutstation (end point of a transport system) · hu végpont (end or final point) · nn endestasjon (end point of a transport system) · nl eindpunt (end point of a transport system) · eo finstacio (end point of a transport system) · cmn 終點站 /终点站 (end point of a transport system) · mt qasma (boundary or border, or a post or stone marking such a boundary) · nb endestasjon (end point of a transport system) · ko 종점 (end point of a transport system) · id terminus (end point of a transport system) · fi päättäri (end point of a transport system) · nl eindstation (end point of a transport system) · tr son durak (end point of a transport system)