endling

American  

[end ling] / ˈɛnd lɪŋ /

noun

1. an individual living thing that is the last survivor of its species or subspecies and whose death consequently means the extinction of that species or subspecies.

   The endling of the once plentiful passenger pigeons was Martha, who died in a zoo in 1914.

2. a person who is the last living member of a family line and whose death consequently means the end of that lineage.

   Sadly, Kenneth, childless and himself an only child, is soon to leave this world, alone and an endling.

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Etymology

Origin of endling

First recorded in 1996 in the correspondence in the British journal Nature; end ¹ ( def. ) + -ling ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Ms. Reva is the author of “Endling,” a novel.

From The Wall Street Journal

Informed by deep personal loss, her startling metafictional debut novel, “Endling,” is a forceful mashup of storytelling modes that call attention to its interplay of reality and fiction — a Ukrainian tragicomedy of errors colliding with social commentary about the Russian invasion.

From Los Angeles Times

And it’s from Yeva’s quest that the book derives its title: An “endling” is the last individual in a dying species, the kind she is dedicated to protecting.

From Los Angeles Times

“Endling” isn’t an easy read, but it is brilliant and heart-stopping.

From Los Angeles Times

“Endling” throws three strangers involved with Ukraine’s for-profit international matchmaking market together for a quixotic kidnapping caper in a nation on the brink of war.

From Los Angeles Times