terminate
verbadjectiveattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈtɜːmɪneɪ̯t//
- United Kingdom//ˈtɜːmɪnət//
- United States//ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t//
- United States//ˈtɝmɪnət//
To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.
verb
- 1
To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.
to terminate a process before its completion
to terminate an effort, or a controversy
During this interval of calm and prosperity, he terminated two figures of slaves, destined for the tomb, in an incomparable style of art.
- 2
To conclude.
- 3
To set or be a limit or boundary to.
to terminate a surface by a line
- 4
To form an appropriate end on (a wire, cable, hose, pipe, etc), such as by applying a cable terminal or a hose ferrule.
We'll rough them all in before we start terminating any of them.
- 5
To end the employment contract of an employee; to fire, lay off.
- 6
To kill someone or something.
The enemy must be terminated by any means possible.
- 7
To end, conclude, or cease; to come to an end.
She unlocked the casket which contained her mother's picture, and gazed even more earnestly than usual on that beautiful face; its frank, glad smile was too painful; it seemed an omen of all that could make a joyous and beloved existence; and yet how had her's terminated!
- 8
Of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus.
This train terminates at the next station.
It is a branch that climbs for 11½ miles into the picturesque Wealden hills until, apparently exhausted by the effort, it terminates a mile short of the village of Hawkhurst.
After dropping off travellers at Foregate Street, my train terminates at Shrub Hill - a station which boasts one of the best selection [sic] of semaphore signals left in the country.
- 9
To issue or result.
Etymology
From Middle English terminaten (“to bring to an end; to adjudicate; to end, stop; to border, confine, contain”) from terminat(e) (“bounded”, also used as the past participle of terminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin terminātus, perfect passive participle of terminō (“to set bounds to, bound, limit, end, close, terminate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from terminus (“a bound, limit, end”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix); see term, terminus. Doublet of termine, cognate with French terminer.
adjective
- 1
Terminated; limited; bounded; ended.
- 2
Having a definite and clear limit or boundary; having a determinate size, shape or magnitude.
Mountains on the Moon cast shadows that are very dark, terminate and more distinct than those cast by mountains on the Earth.
- 3
Expressible in a finite number of terms; (of a decimal) not recurring or infinite.
One third is a recurring decimal, but one half is a terminate decimal.
Etymology
From Middle English terminat(e) (“bounded”, also used as the past participle of terminaten), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
Forms
- comparative
- more terminate
- superlative
- most terminate
- past tense
- terminated
- past participle
- terminated
- present participle
- terminating
- third person singular
- terminates
terminate · To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.
terminated · Having been the subject of termination; ended or destroyed.termination · The process of terminating or the state of being terminated.terminator · Someone who terminates or ends something, especially (in…