Adjacent Words

Terminate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TERM'INATE, v.t. [termino; terminus.]
1. To bound; to limit; to set the extreme point or side of a thing; as, to terminate a surface by a line.
2. To end; to put an end to; as, to terminate a controversy.
TERM'INATE, v.i. To be limited; to end; to come to the furthest point in space; as, a line terminates at the equator; the torrid zone terminates at the tropics.
1. To end; to close; to come to a limit in time. The session of congress, every second year, must terminate on the third of March.
The wisdom of this world, its designs and efficacy, terminate on this side heaven.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I" [syn: end, terminate] [ant: begin, commence, get, get down, lead off, set about, set out, start, start out]
2: have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical; "the bronchioles terminate in a capillary bed"; "Your rights stop where you infringe upon the rights of other"; "My property ends by the bushes"; "The symphony ends in a pianissimo" [syn: end, stop, finish, terminate, cease] [ant: begin, start]
3: be the end of; be the last or concluding part of; "This sad scene ended the movie" [syn: end, terminate]
4: terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position; "The boss fired his secretary today"; "The company terminated 25% of its workers" [syn: displace, fire, give notice, can, dismiss, give the axe, send away, sack, force out, give the sack, terminate] [ant: employ, engage, hire]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin terminatus, past participle of terminare, from terminus Date: 15th century coming to an end or capable of ending II. verb (-nated; -nating) Date: 15th century intransitive verb 1. to extend only to a limit (as a point or line); especially to reach a terminus 2. to form an ending 3. to come to an end in time transitive verb 1. a. to bring to an end ; close <terminate a marriage by divorce> <terminate a transmission line> b. to form the conclusion of <review questions terminate each chapter> c. to discontinue the employment of <workers terminated because of slow business> 2. to serve as an ending, limit, or boundary of 3. assassinate, kill Synonyms: see close

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. & intr. bring or come to an end. 2 intr. (foll. by in) (of a word) end in (a specified letter or syllable etc.). 3 tr. end (a pregnancy) before term by artificial means. 4 tr. bound, limit. Etymology: L terminare (as TERMINUS)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Terminate Ter"mi*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Terminated; p. pr. & vb. n. Terminating.] [L. terminatus, p. p. of terminare. See Term.] 1. To set a term or limit to; to form the extreme point or side of; to bound; to limit; as, to terminate a surface by a line. 2. To put an end to; to make to cease; as, to terminate an effort, or a controversy. 3. Hence, to put the finishing touch to; to bring to completion; to perfect. During this interval of calm and prosperity, he [Michael Angelo] terminated two figures of slaves, destined for the tomb, in an incomparable style of art. --J. S. Harford.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Terminate Ter"mi*nate, v. i. 1. To be limited in space by a point, line, or surface; to stop short; to end; to cease; as, the torrid zone terminates at the tropics. 2. To come to a limit in time; to end; to close. The wisdom of this world, its designs and efficacy, terminate on zhis side heaven. --South.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(terminates, terminating, terminated) 1. When you terminate something or when it terminates, it ends completely. (FORMAL) Her next remark abruptly terminated the conversation... His contract terminates at the end of the season. VERB: V n, V • termination ...a dispute which led to the abrupt termination of trade. N-UNCOUNT 2. To terminate a pregnancy means to end it. (MEDICAL) After a lot of agonizing she decided to terminate the pregnancy... VERB: V n • termination (terminations) You should also have a medical check-up after the termination of a pregnancy. N-VAR 3. When a train or bus terminates somewhere, it ends its journey there. (FORMAL) This train will terminate at Taunton. VERB: V prep/adv

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Bound, limit, set bounds to. 2. End, conclude, complete, close, finish, bring to an end, put an end to. 3. Bring to completion, finish, complete. II. v. n. 1. End, cease, be limited, stop short, come to an end. 2. End, close, come to an end. 3. Eventuate, issue, prove, turn out.

Moby Thesaurus

abandon, abolish, abort, attend, ax, become of, belay, boot out, bounce, button up, cancel, cap, carry to completion, cashier, cease, clean up, climax, close, close out, close up, come about, come of, come out, complete, conclude, crown, culminate, cut it out, cut off, desist, determine, develop, discharge, discontinue, dismiss, dissolve, drop, drop it, end, ensue, eventuate, extinguish, fall out, fare, finalize, finish, finish off, finish up, fire, follow, get done, get it over, get through, get through with, give over, halt, have done with, hold, issue, kick out, knock it off, lay off, leave, leave off, mop up, pan out, perfect, perorate, prorogate, prorogue, prove, prove to be, quit, recess, refrain, relinquish, renounce, resign, resolve, result, rise, round out, sack, scrap, scratch, scrub, sign off, stay, stop, top off, top out, turn out, ultimate, unfold, wind down, wind up, work out, wrap up