terminate
/ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.65 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To form an appropriate end on (a wire, cable, hose, pipe, etc), such as by applying a cable terminal or a hose ferrule.
Transitive verb
verb
Of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus.
Intransitive verb
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "to terminate a surface by a line"
- "We'll rough them all in before we start terminating any of them."
- "The enemy must be terminated by any means possible."
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *terh₂-, terminaten, terminat
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t/
- British English: /ˈtɜːmɪneɪ̯t/
Usage
Inflected Forms
terminates (present, singular)
terminating (participle, present)
terminated (participle, past)
terminated (past)
more terminate (comparative)
most terminate (superlative)