terminal
Other forms: terminals
Terminal is a word with many meanings. Depending on how it's used, it can describe a place where passengers end their journey, a computer screen and keyboard, or a life-ending disease.
As a noun, terminal describes a bus or train station at the end of the line. When your aunt takes the bus into town, you pick her up at the terminal. Her visit becomes very sad when your aunt tells you she's been diagnosed with an illness that's terminal — an adjective meaning she hasn't long to live. This is surprising news, since you've always believed your aunt is a hypochondriac. Now you have to go to your computer terminal and look up her disease.
Definitions of terminal
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occurring at or forming an end or termination
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being or situated at an end“terminal buds on a branch”“a terminal station”“the terminal syllable”
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Antonyms:
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intermediate
lying between two extremes in time or space or state
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gray, grey
intermediate in character or position
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halfway
at a point midway between two extremes
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in-between, mediate, middle
being neither at the beginning nor at the end in a series
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junior, next-to-last, third-year
used of the third or next to final year in United States high school or college
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next-to-last, penultimate
next to the last
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second-year, sophomore
used of the second year in United States high school or college
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subterminal
near but not precisely at an end
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antepenultimate
third from last
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intermediate
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of or relating to or situated at the ends of a delivery route“freight pickup is a terminal service”“terminal charges”
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causing or ending in or approaching death
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either extremity of something that has length“the terminals of the anterior arches of the fornix”
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synonyms:
end
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types:
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bitter end
(nautical) the inboard end of a line or cable especially the end that is wound around a bitt
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bitthead
the upper end of a bitt
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heel
the lower end of a ship's mast
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point
sharp end
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magnetic pole, pole
one of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetism seems to be concentrated
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railhead
the end of the completed track on an unfinished railway
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terminus
either end of a railroad or bus route
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yardarm
either end of the yard of a square-rigged ship
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nerve end, nerve ending
the terminal structure of an axon that does not end at a synapse
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telomere
either (free) end of a eukaryotic chromosome
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heel
one of the crusty ends of a loaf of bread
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end point, endpoint, termination, terminus
a place where something ends or is complete
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destination, finish, goal
the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)
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tip
the extreme end of something, especially something pointed
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arrowhead
the pointed head or striking tip of an arrow
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barb
a subsidiary point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove
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barb
the pointed part of barbed wire
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cusp
point formed by two intersecting arcs (as from the intrados of a Gothic arch)
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diamond point
a very hard small point made from a diamond
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negative magnetic pole, negative pole, south-seeking pole
the pole of a magnet that points toward the south when the magnet is suspended freely
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nib, pen nib
the writing point of a pen
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pike
a sharp point (as on the end of a spear)
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pinpoint
the sharp point of a pin
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north-seeking pole, positive magnetic pole, positive pole
the pole of a magnet that points toward the north when the magnet is suspended freely
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spear-point, spearhead, spearpoint
the head and sharpened point of a spear
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spike
each of the sharp points on the soles of athletic shoes to prevent slipping (or the shoes themselves)
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free nerve ending
microscopic sensory nerve endings in the skin that are not connected to any specific sensory receptor
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Pacinian corpuscle
a specialized bulblike nerve ending located in the subcutaneous tissue of the skin; occurs abundantly in the skin of palms and soles and joints and genitals
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proprioceptor
special nerve endings in the muscles and tendons and other organs that respond to stimuli regarding the position and movement of the body
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fingertip
the end (tip) of a finger
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tiptoe
the tip of a toe
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finish line, finishing line
a line indicating the location of the finish of a race
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beak
a beaklike, tapering tip on certain plant structures
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type of:
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extremity
the outermost or farthest region or point
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station where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or goods
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types:
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air terminal, airport terminal
a terminal that serves air travelers or air freight
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bus depot, bus station, bus terminal, coach station
a terminal that serves bus passengers
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cathode
the positively charged terminal of a voltaic cell or storage battery that supplies current
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railroad station, railroad terminal, railway station, train depot, train station
terminal where trains load or unload passengers or goods
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subway station
a terminal where subways load and unload passengers
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flag stop, way station, whistle stop
a small railway station between the principal stations or a station where the train stops only on a signal
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type of:
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station
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
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a contact on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which electric current enters or leaves
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synonyms:
pole
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types:
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anode
the negatively charged terminal of a voltaic cell or storage battery that supplies current
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negative pole
the terminal of a battery that is connected to the negative plate
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positive pole
the terminal of a battery that is connected to the positive plate
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anode
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electronic equipment consisting of a device providing access to a computer; has a keyboard and display
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types:
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job-oriented terminal
a terminal designed for a particular application
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link-attached station, link-attached terminal, remote station, remote terminal
a terminal connected to a computer by a data link
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type of:
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electronic equipment, electronics
equipment that involves the controlled conduction of electrons (especially in a gas or vacuum or semiconductor)
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job-oriented terminal
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relating to or occurring in a term or fixed period of time“terminal examinations”“terminal payments”
Pronunciation
US
/ˈtərmənl/
UK
/ˈtəmɪnəl/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘terminal'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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