terminus

noun

ter·​mi·​nus ˈtər-mə-nəs How to pronounce terminus (audio)
plural termini ˈtər-mə-ˌnī How to pronounce terminus (audio) -ˌnē How to pronounce terminus (audio) or terminuses
1
: either end of a transportation line or travel route
also : the station, town, or city at such a place : terminal
2
: an extreme point or element : tip
the terminus of a glacier
3
: a final goal : a finishing point
4
: a post or stone marking a boundary

Did you know?

This word comes straight from Latin. In the Roman empire, a terminus was a boundary stone, and all boundary stones had a minor god associated with them, whose name was Terminus. Terminus was a kind of keeper of the peace, since wherever there was a terminus there could be no arguments about where your property ended and your neighbor's property began. So Terminus even had his own festival, the Terminalia, when images of the god were draped with flower garlands. Today the word shows up in all kinds of places, including in the name of numerous hotels worldwide built near a city's railway terminus.

Examples of terminus in a Sentence

Stockholm is the terminus for the southbound train. Geologists took samples from the terminus of the glacier. the terminus of the DNA strand
Recent Examples on the Web New Jersey chose me: I was born there and grew up on the Jersey Shore, just past the southern terminus of the Pine Barrens, where this story is set. Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 Tara Dower, a 31-year-old ultrarunner and long-distance hiker born in North Carolina and based in Virginia, reached Georgia’s Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, at 11:53 P.M. Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 22 Sep. 2024 Location Though its name claims Orchard Road, the Conrad sits just off Singapore’s glossy commercial drag, near its western terminus. Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2024 Finally, the route goes into Illinois, stopping at seven downstate stations before pulling into its northern terminus, Chicago Union Station. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for terminus 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terminus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, boundary marker, limit — more at term entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1617, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of terminus was circa 1617

Dictionary Entries Near terminus

Cite this Entry

“Terminus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terminus. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

terminus

noun
ter·​mi·​nus ˈtər-mə-nəs How to pronounce terminus (audio)
plural termini -ˌnī How to pronounce terminus (audio)
-ˌnē
or terminuses
1
: final goal : finishing point
2
: a post or stone marking a boundary
3
a
: either end of a transportation line or travel route
b
: the station or town at such a place

Medical Definition

terminus

noun
ter·​mi·​nus ˈtər-mə-nəs How to pronounce terminus (audio)
plural termini -ˌnī How to pronounce terminus (audio) -ˌnē How to pronounce terminus (audio) also terminuses
: an end or ending especially of a molecular chain, a chromosome, or a process of a nerve cell
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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