terminal

[ tur-muh-nl ]

adjective

1. situated at or forming the end or extremity of something:

   a terminal feature of a vista.

   Synonyms: ultimate, final

2. occurring at or forming the end of a series, succession, or the like; closing; concluding.

   Synonyms: ultimate, final

3. pertaining to or lasting for a term or definite period; occurring at fixed terms or in every term:

   terminal payments.

4. pertaining to, situated at, or forming the terminus of a railroad.
5. Botany. growing at the end of a branch or stem, as a bud or inflorescence.
6. Architecture. noting a figure, as a herm or term, in the form of a bust upon a gaine.
7. pertaining to or placed at a boundary, as a landmark.
8. occurring at or causing the end of life:

   a terminal disease.

   Synonyms: mortal, fatal, lethal

9. Informal. utterly beyond hope, rescue, or saving:

   The undercapitalized project is a terminal problem.

noun

1. a terminal part of a structure; end or extremity.
2. Railroads. a major assemblage of station, yard, maintenance, and repair facilities, as at a terminus, at which trains originate or terminate, or at which they are distributed or combined.
3. Computers. any device for entering information into a computer or receiving information from it, as a keyboard with video display unit, either adjoining the computer or at some distance from it.
4. a station on the line of a public carrier, as in a city center or at an airport, where passengers embark or disembark and where freight is received or discharged.
5. Electricity.
   1. the mechanical device by means of which an electric connection to an apparatus is established.
   2. the point of current entry to, or point of current departure from, any conducting component in an electric circuit.
6. Architecture.
   1. a herm or term.
   2. a carving or the like at the end of something, as a finial.

terminal

/ ˈtɜːmɪnəl /

adjective

1. of, being, or situated at an end, terminus, or boundary

   a terminal station

   terminal buds

2. of, relating to, or occurring after or in a term

   terminal leave

3. (of a disease) terminating in death

   terminal cancer

4. informal.
   extreme

   terminal boredom

5. of or relating to the storage or delivery of freight at a warehouse

   a terminal service

noun

1. a terminating point, part, or place
2. 1. a point at which current enters or leaves an electrical device, such as a battery or a circuit
   2. a conductor by which current enters or leaves at such a point
3. computing a device having input/output links with a computer but situated at a distance from the computer
4. architect
   1. an ornamental carving at the end of a structure
   2. another name for term
5. 1. a point or station usually at the end of the line of a railway, serving as an important access point for passengers or freight
   2. a less common name for terminus
6. a purpose-built reception and departure structure at the terminus of a bus, sea, or air transport route
7. a site where raw material is unloaded, stored, in some cases reprocessed, and reloaded for further transportation, esp an onshore installation designed to receive offshore oil or gas from tankers or a pipeline
8. physiol
   1. the smallest arteriole before its division into capillaries
   2. either of two veins that collect blood from the thalamus and surrounding structures and empty it into the internal cerebral vein
   3. the portion of a bronchiole just before it subdivides into the air sacs of the lungs

terminal

/ tûr′mə-nəl /

1. A position in a circuit or device at which a connection can be made or broken.
2. See Note at battery
3. Computer Science.
   A device, often equipped with a keyboard and a video display, by which one can read, enter, or manipulate information in a computer system.

Derived Forms

• ˈterminally, adverb

Other Words From

• ter·mi·nal·ly adverb
• in·ter·ter·mi·nal adjective
• non·ter·mi·nal adjective
• pre·ter·mi·nal adjective
• sub·ter·mi·nal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of terminal¹

First recorded in 1480–90; late Middle English, from Latin terminālis, equivalent to termin(us) “end, limit” + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of terminal¹

C15: from Latin terminālis, from terminus end

Example Sentences

A few months later, the company signed a deal with Shell, the Dutch energy giant, to jointly develop the terminal at an estimated cost of about $11 billion.

From ProPublica

Its plans to build an LNG-export terminal in Louisiana took a blow at the end of March 2020, when Shell, its 50-50 partner in the project, decided to pull out, citing adverse market conditions.

From ProPublica

Coronavirus infections were linked to a beluga whale that experienced lung disease and terminal liver failure, and Pacific harbor seals that died from pneumonia in 2000.

From Fortune

This week, the company and several big name partners, including UPS and Penske, announced plans for an autonomous freight network of self-driving trucks, digitally mapped routes, terminals, and a central operations system to monitor the lot.

From Singularity Hub 

With the rise of flies as proven test subjects, when Rogulja became curious about terminal sleep deprivation, it again seemed like a plausible thing to study.

From Quanta Magazine

But millions of rules result in perpetual error, and, as a terminal side effect, make leadership and accomplishment illegal.

From The Daily Beast

I told them the story about how Delta helped her propose to me in the middle of the international terminal here at Delta.

From The Daily Beast

Someone without a terminal illness can go through years and years of terrible suffering.

From The Daily Beast

“Someone with a terminal illness will die soon anyway,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

Most of the 38 alleged victims were gravely ill or suffered terminal conditions.

From The Daily Beast

He presented the railway case with great ability, and his views were accepted on the important terminal question.

From Project Gutenberg

The terminal C is held to the metal covering of the fixture, while the end D is held to one of the wires.

From Project Gutenberg

The carbon plates should be connected together and then connected to a binding post which forms the positive terminal of the cell.

From Project Gutenberg

The single railroad passing through Fredericksburg had no coast terminal.

From Project Gutenberg

A terminal moraine, a mile and a half in depth, separates it from the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• depot
• station