end

[ end ]

/ ɛnd /

noun

the last part or extremity, lengthwise, of anything that is longer than it is wide or broad: the end of a street; the end of a rope.

a point, line, or limitation that indicates the full extent, degree, etc., of something; limit; bounds: kindness without end; to walk from end to end of a city.

a part or place at or adjacent to an extremity: at the end of the table; the west end of town.

the furthermost imaginable place or point: an island at the very end of the world.

termination; conclusion: The journey was coming to an end.

the concluding part: The end of her speech had to be cut short because of time.

an intention or aim: to gain one's ends.

the object for which a thing exists; purpose: The happiness of the people is the end of government.

an outcome or result: What is to be the end of all this bickering?

termination of existence; death: He met a horrible end.

a cause of death, destruction, or ruin: Another war would be the end of civilization.

a remnant or fragment: mill end; ends and trimmings.

a share or part in something: He does his end of the job very well.

Textiles. a warp thread running vertically and interlaced with the filling yarn in the woven fabric.

Football.

either of the linemen: stationed farthest from the center.
the position played by this lineman.

Archery. the number of arrows to be shot by a competitor during one turn in a match.

Cricket. a wicket, especially the one where the batsman is taking a turn.

a unit of a game, as in curling or lawn bowling.

Kantianism. any rational being, regarded as worthy to exist for its own sake.

either half of a domino.

Knots. the part of a rope, beyond a knot or the like, that is not used.

the end, Slang. the ultimate; the utmost of good or bad: His stupidity is the end.

verb (used with object)

to bring to an end or conclusion: We ended the discussion on a note of optimism.

to put an end to; terminate: This was the battle that ended the war.

to form the end of: This passage ends the novel.

to cause the demise of; kill: A bullet through the heart ended him.

to constitute the most outstanding or greatest possible example or instance of (usually used in the infinitive): You just committed the blunder to end all blunders.

verb (used without object)

to come to an end; terminate; cease: The road ends at Rome.

to issue or result: Extravagance ends in want.

to reach or arrive at a final condition, circumstance, or goal (often followed by up): to end up in the army; to end as a happy person.

adjective

final or ultimate: the end result.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for end

at loose ends, without an occupation or plans; unsettled; uncertain: He spent two years wandering about the country at loose ends.

at one's wit's end, at the end of one's ideas or mental resources; perplexed: I'm at my wit's end with this problem.Also at one's wits' end.

end for end, in reverse position; inverted: The cartons were turned end for end.

end on, with the end next to or facing: He backed the truck until it was end on with the loading platform.

end to end, in a row with ends touching: The pipes were placed end to end on the ground.

go off the deep end, Informal. to act in a reckless or agitated manner; lose emotional control: She went off the deep end when she lost her job.

in the end, finally; after all: In the end they shook hands and made up.

keep/hold one's end up, to perform one's part or share adequately: The work is demanding, but he's holding his end up.

make an end of, to conclude; stop: Let's make an end of this foolishness and get down to work.

make ends meet, to live within one's means: Despite her meager income, she tried to make ends meet.Also make both ends meet.

no end, Informal. very much or many: They were pleased no end by the warm reception.

on end,

having the end down; upright: to stand a box on end.
continuously; successively: They talked for hours on end.

put an end to, to cause to stop; terminate; finish: The advent of sound in motion pictures put an end to many a silent star's career.

Origin of end

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English ende; cognate with Old Frisian enda, Middle Dutch e(i)nde, Old Saxon endi, Old High German anti, German Ende, Old Norse endi(r), Gothic andeis “end,” from unattested Germanic anthjá-; akin to Sanskrit ánta- “end”

SYNONYMS FOR end

4 tip, bound, limit, terminus.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR end ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for end

5. End, close, conclusion, finish, outcome refer to the termination of something. End implies a natural termination or completion, or an attainment of purpose: the end of a day, of a race; to some good end. Close often implies a planned rounding off of something in process: the close of a conference. Conclusion suggests a decision or arrangement: All evidence leads to this conclusion; the conclusion of peace terms. Finish emphasizes completion of something begun: a fight to the finish. Outcome suggests the issue of something that was in doubt: the outcome of a game. 7. See aim.

OTHER WORDS FROM end

end·er, noun

Words nearby end

encyclopedic, encyclopedism, encyclopedist, encyst, encysted calculus, end, end around, end artery, end brush, end bud, end bulb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for end up (1 of 3)

end up

verb (adverb)

(copula) to become eventually; turn out to behe ended up a thief

(intr) to arrive, esp by a circuitous or lengthy route or processhe ended up living in New Zealand

British Dictionary definitions for end up (2 of 3)

end¹

/ (ɛnd) /

noun

the extremity of the length of something, such as a road, line, etc

the surface at either extremity of a three-dimensional object

the extreme extent, limit, or degree of something

the most distant place or time that can be imaginedthe ends of the earth

the time at which something is concluded

the last section or part
(as modifier)the end office Related adjectives: final, terminal, ultimate

a share or parthis end of the bargain

(often plural) a remnant or fragment (esp in the phrase odds and ends)

a final state, esp death; destruction

the purpose of an action or existence

sport either of the two defended areas of a playing field, rink, etc

bowls curling a section of play from one side of the rink to the other

American football a player at the extremity of the playing line; wing

all ends up totally or completely

a sticky end informal, US and Canadian an unpleasant death

at a loose end or US and Canadian at loose ends without purpose or occupation

at an end exhausted or completed

at the end of the day See day (def. 10)

come to an end to become completed or exhausted

end on

with the end pointing towards one
with the end adjacent to the end of another object

go off the deep end informal to lose one's temper; react angrily

get one's end away slang to have sexual intercourse

in the end finally

keep one's end up

to sustain one's part in a joint enterprise
to hold one's own in an argument, contest, etc

make ends meet or make both ends meet to spend no more than the money one has

no end or no end of informal (intensifier)I had no end of work

on end

upright
without pause or interruption

the end informal

the worst, esp something that goes beyond the limits of endurance
mainly US the best in quality

the end of the road the point beyond which survival or continuation is impossible

throw someone in at the deep end to put someone into a new situation, job, etc, without preparation or introduction

verb

to bring or come to a finish; conclude

to die or cause to die

(tr) to surpass; outdoa novel to end all novels

end it all informal to commit suicide

Derived forms of end

ender, noun

Word Origin for end

Old English ende; related to Old Norse endir, Gothic andeis, Old High German endi, Latin antiae forelocks, Sanskrit antya last

British Dictionary definitions for end up (3 of 3)

end²

/ (ɛnd) /

verb

(tr) British to put (hay or grain) into a barn or stack

Word Origin for end

Old English innian; related to Old High German innōn; see inn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with end up (1 of 2)

end up

Arrive at, result in, finish. For example, He thought he'd end up living in the city, or We don't know how Nancy will end up. [First half of 1900s] Also see wind up.

Idioms and Phrases with end up (2 of 2)

end

In addition to the idioms beginning with end

end game
end in itself
end justifies the means, the
end of one's rope, at the
end of the line
end run
ends of the earth, the
end to end
end up

also see:

all's well that ends well
at loose ends
at one's wit's end
be-all and end-all
beginning of the end
bitter end
burn the candle at both ends
can't see beyond the end of one's nose
come to an end
dead end
go off the deep end
hair stand on end
hold one's end up
in the end
light at the end of the tunnel
make ends meet
never hear the end of
odds and ends
on end
on the receiving end
play both ends against the middle
put an end to
rear end
short end (of the stick)
tail end
wrong end of the stick

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