terminus
nounUK /ˈtɜːmɪnəs/ · US /ˈtər.mə.nəs/
Etymology Learned borrowing from Latin terminus (“boundary, limit”). Doublet of term, Terminus, and termon.
1
The end or final point of something.
- The river reached its terminus at the wide delta near the sea.
2
The end point of a transportation system, or the town or city in which it is located.
- My brother supposes they must have filled outside London, for at that time the furious terror of the people had rendered the central termini impossible.1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 171:
- The arrangement for certain long-distance trains to call at suburban stations (saving passengers the trouble of journeying to the termini), which proved popular last year, is being extended.1951 June, “British Railways Summer Services”, in Railway Magazine, page 419:
2 more examples
- Wuhan is the terminus for cruises to the Yanzi^([sic – meaning Yangtze]) River gorges.1991, “China”, in All-Asia Guide, volume III, Hongkong: Review Publishing, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 45:
- Thirty-five years ago, many journeys around London meant having to pass through the centre of the capital. That's no longer the case, which takes real pressure off the city's termini as well as underground routes such as the Circle Line.2020 May 20, Paul Bigland, “East London Line's renaissance”, in Rail, page 49:
3
Obsolete A boundary or border, or a post or stone marking such a boundary.
- A bronz statue marked the terminus of the king's dominion.
- Antonyms
- origin
- Derived terms
- carboxy-terminus, C-terminus, N-terminus