terminator

noun

ter·​mi·​na·​tor ˈtər-mə-ˌnā-tər How to pronounce terminator (audio)
1
: the dividing line between the illuminated and the unilluminated part of the moon's or a planet's disk
2
: one that terminates

Examples of terminator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Capella Space’s satellite was going to fall back to Earth early; in a 2024 conference paper about the company’s experience, an author then at Capella Space’s team stated that its members found the terminator forecast to be accurate and began to use it in their modeling. Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 10 Dec. 2025 However, the weeks surrounding them can provide spectacular views of their own, as the line separating night from day, known as the terminator, sweeps across its surface, throwing ancient craters, ravines and mountain ranges into relief. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Dec. 2025 On Mercury, the dividing line between day and night, the terminator, is more than just a twilight zone. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025 Rachel LaMont was an absolute puzzle terminator on Survivor 47, dominating the brain-teasers during the pre-merge stage of the game, and then winning the final hanging bat puzzle immunity contest on her way to becoming the Sole Survivor. Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terminator

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of terminator was in 1652

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Cite this Entry

“Terminator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terminator. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

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