terminus
/ˈtər.mə.nəs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.18 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The end or final point of something.
name
The god of boundaries and landmarks, focus of the important Roman festival of Terminalia.
Example Sentences
- "The river reached its terminus at the wide delta near the sea."
- "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."
- "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."
- "Wuhan is the terminus for cruises to the Yanzi^([sic – meaning Yangtze]) River gorges."
- "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."
- "A bronz statue marked the terminus of the king's dominion."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *terh₂-? Proto-Indo-European *ter-? Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ Proto-Italic *termn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *term(e)nos Latin terminuslbor. English terminus Learned borrowing from Latin terminus (“boundary, limit”). Doublet of term, Terminus, and termon.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtər.mə.nəs/
- British English: /ˈtɜːmɪnəs/