terminus

noun

ter·​mi·​nus ˈtər-mə-nəs 

plural termini ˈtər-mə-ˌnī  -ˌnē  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

When the popular elevated trail opened a decade ago, there wasn’t a lot there at its western terminus. —Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025

The Gold Line’s western terminus is located near the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. —Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 19 Mar. 2025

Named for a Creek Indian leader, the trail was the state’s first rails-to-trails project and at its eastern terminus connects to Georgia’s Silver Comet Trail. —Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025

Hikers don’t face a similar issue at the Mexican border, because people can drive all the way to that terminus, near Campo, in San Diego County. —Bay Area News Group, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1617, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing terminus

• terminus ad quem
• terminus a quo

Rhymes for terminus

• conterminous
• coterminous

Kids Definition

terminus

noun

ter·​mi·​nus ˈtər-mə-nəs 

plural termini -ˌnī 

-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 

plural termini -ˌnī  -ˌnē  also terminuses

: an end or ending especially of a molecular chain, a chromosome, or a process of a nerve cell