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

The tour will feature information on the history of the station and why the first terminus of the railroad in America was located in Ellicott City. —Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2025

By car, Interstate 90 connects South Bend to all corners of the country, and Indiana’s north-south artery, Highway 31, has its terminus here. —Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 13 Dec. 2024

On November 9, Fowler reached the AZT’s terminus on the U.S. Mexico border, 12 days, 17 hours, and 33 minutes after starting from the trail’s northernmost point. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 27 Nov. 2024

The five-bedroom property sits on nearly 2.8 acres at the southern terminus of Medicine Bow Road with a main residence, guest house, and two additional living spaces. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 17 Dec. 2024

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

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