▪ I. terminate, ppl. a.
(ˈtɜːmɪnət)
[ad. L. termināt-us, pa. pple. of termināre: see next.]
Terminated, in various senses: see the verb.
1. a. Limited, bounded; ended, brought to an end; having a definite limit or limits; of determinate form or magnitude. (In early quots. const. as pa. pple.) Now rare or Obs.
| 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 79 Inde is terminate from the este with the rysenge of the sonne, of the sowthe with the occean [etc.]. 1639 G. Daniel Ecclus. xli. 38 What if the vncertaine Date Of Mortalls in ten years be Terminate. 1645 Digby Nat. Bodies xxviii. §1. 301 A terminate [ed. 1644 determinate] quantity or multitude of parts. 1750 tr. Leonardus' Mirr. Stones 35 Colour is the extremity of the perspicuous in a terminate body. |
b. Math. Capable of being expressed in a finite number of terms; esp. of a decimal, not recurring or infinite; opp. to interminate 1 b. rare.
| 1882 Ogilvie, Terminate, a., capable of coming to an end; limited; bounded; as, a terminate decimal. |
c. Gram. = terminative a. 4 b. Also as n.
Restricted to the writings of G. O. Curme and a few others.
| 1931 G. O. Curme Syntax xix. 385 A large number of simple and compound verbs indicate an action as a whole. Such verbs are called terminates. Ibid. 386 The terminate aspect has relations also to the durative aspect. 1935 ― Gram. Eng. Lang. II. 206 The expanded form often represents the act as a whole, hence it has terminate force: ‘I am sorry you doubt my statement. I am telling you the truth.’ Ibid. 237 In terminates it [sc. the present participle] represents the act as a whole, as a fact. 1946 [see progressive a. 3 h]. 1972 M. L. Samuels Linguistic Evol. 161 If a terminate or point-action meaning was required for a majority of its occurrences in the preterite, the short vowel was preferred. |
† 2. Determined, decided. Obs. rare. (as pa. pple.)
| 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) VII. 275 The pope decrete that mater to be terminate afore the kynge of Ynglonde and bischoppes. |
† 3. a. Directed to a specified object. Obs. rare.
| 1624 F. White Repl. Fisher 283 Their worship is terminate in the verie Image. |
† b. ? Directed to some point; having a definite direction in space. Obs. rare.
| 1676 H. More Remarks xxiii. 37, I demand, if the mobility of water upwards be not as intrinsick to it as downwards..? for where the water is rightly placed, it has no terminate motion at all. |
▪ II. terminate, v.
(ˈtɜːmɪneɪt)
[f. L. termināt-, ppl. stem of termināre to limit, end, f. termin-us end, boundary.]
I. Transitive senses.
† 1. To determine; to state definitely. Obs. rare.
| 1589 Nashe Anat. Absurd. 18 Who made them so priuie to the secrets of the Almightie, that they should foretell the tokens of his wrath, or terminate the time of his vengeaunce. 1706 Phillips, To Terminate,..to determine, or decide. |
† 2. To express in terms or words, to denominate. Obs. rare—1.
| 1589 Nashe Pref. Greene's Menaphon (Arb.) 13 Which strange language of the firmament..makes vs that are not vsed to terminate heauens moueings in the accents of any voice, esteeme of their triobulare interpreter, as of some Thrasionical huffe snuffe. |
3. a. To direct (an action) to something as object or end (cf. term n. 1 c). Const. in, to, upon. In quot. 1599, To destine to a place. ? Obs. (Cf. sense 8.)
| 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuffe (1871) 73 Leander..they terminated to the unquiet, cold coast of Iceland. 1645 Rutherford Tryal & Tri. Faith Ded. 12 The first opening of the eye-lids of God is terminated upon the breast of Christ. 1652 Gaule Magastrom. 127 Idolatrous worship came..to be terminated upon other inferior creatures. 1724 R. Welton Chr. Faith & Pract. 188 When they terminate their thoughts upon secondary instruments. 1746–7 Hervey Medit. (1818) 147 The niggardly wretch whose aims are all turned inward, and meanly terminated upon himself. |
† b. Of a thing: To be the object of (an action).
| 1656 Jeanes Mixt. Schol. Div. 81 This union..is wrought by the whole three persons, terminated unto the second person onely; that alone terminates suppositall, or personall dependance of the manhood. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. iii. i. §3 An Idea..is nothing else but the objective being of a thing as it terminates the understanding. 1704 Norris Ideal World ii. iii. 108 The ideas that terminate our thoughts (and which therefore are the only true objects of them). |
4. a. To bring to an end, put an end to, cause to cease; to end (an action, condition, etc.).
| 1615 Chapman Odyss. xx. 92 Her eyes Opened with teares, in care of her estate, Which now, her friends resolu'd to terminate To more delaies; and make her marry one. 1623 Cockeram, Terminate, to end. 1732 Arbuthnot Rules of Diet in Aliments, etc. 304 [It] will sooner terminate the cold Fit. 1796 F. Burney Camilla IV. 277 She had every hope that this..would terminate every perplexity. 1855 Milman Lat. Chr. viii. ix, They had assisted in terminating a disastrous schism which had distracted Christendom. |
b. To come at the end of, form the conclusion of.
| 1798 S. Lee Canterb. T., Yng. Lady's T. II. 497 Cold thanks for her civilities..terminated the visit. 1799 Monthly Rev. XXX. 345 We cannot also but approve the choice of passages..which terminate this publication. |
c. In pregnant use: (a) to dismiss from employment; (b) to assassinate; to terminate with extreme prejudice: see prejudice n. 1 c. N. Amer. colloq.
| (a) 1973 N.Y. Law Jrnl. 25 July 13/1 The complainant had been discharged because of an unauthorized absence..and..there was no probable cause to believe that he had been terminated in retaliation for having filed previous complaints against petitioners. 1976 M. Machlin Pipeline xviii. 228 If the boss didn't care for you very much in the first place, you could be terminated without having any appeal to the union. 1980 R. L. Duncan Brimstone ii. 36 Adamson's putting pressure on me to terminate you. |
| (b) 1975 N. Luard Robespierre Serial iv. 27 A free-lance agent who'd been given a contract to terminate an individual the Service had declared hostile. 1981 T. Barling Bikini Red North ii. 51 Haddad was terminated by persons unknown. |
† 5. To bring (something) to a stop, so that it extends no further; to put a limit or limits to; to restrict, confine to (in). Obs.
| a 1628 Preston New Covt. (1634) 157 When a man will so enjoy these things that he can terminate his comfort in them. 1660 R. Coke Power & Subj. 80 Where it is not slavery, there the Masters powers is terminated to years, moneths, weeks, daies, or houres. 1674 Hickman Hist. Quinquart. (ed. 2) 118 Both creation and generation are terminated to substances. |
6. To bound or limit spatially; to form the material extremity of; to be situated at the end of.
| 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 42 The South [of Guzerat] is terminated by the Sea. 1713 Pope Guardian No. 173 ¶ 5 (Odyss. vii. 168) Beds of all various herbs, for ever green, In beauteous order terminate the scene. 1746–7 Hervey Medit. (1818) 103 On another side, the great deep terminates the view. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVII. 404/2 That which comes under the foremost beam of the gun-deck may terminate the fore part of the orlop. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. II. 391 Abdomen..elongated, conical, terminated in the female by a long perforator. 1840 Lardner Geom. 264 Two such semi-diameters..will be terminated at points holding corresponding positions in the elliptical quadrants. |
7. † a. To give a definite border or outline to, render distinct, define (visual objects). Obs. rare.
| 1756 Franklin in Phil. Trans. LV. 190 Distant objects appear distinct, their figures sharply terminated. 1762 Maskelyne ibid. LII. 610 M. de la Caille had a refracting telescope..which..did not terminate objects distinctly. |
b. To finish, complete. rare.
| 1825 Chalmers in Hanna Mem. (1851) III. iv. 56 Our science is a rudimental and not a terminating one. 1857 J. S. Harford Michael Angelo I. xi. 245 During this interval of calm and prosperity, he [Michael Angelo] terminated two figures of slaves..in an incomparable style of art. |
II. Intransitive senses (corresponding to refl. or pass. uses of those in I.).
8. To be directed to something as object or end.
| 1699 Burnet 39 Art. xxii. (1700) 240 In the Presence of the King, all Respects terminate in his Person. 1856 Dove Logic Chr. Faith Introd. §6. 23 The other [says] ‘My thoughts all terminate in God’. 1909 Sir O. Lodge Ether of Space App. iii. 153 The free portion [of ether]..is not amenable to either mechanical or electric forces. They are transmitted by it, but never terminate upon it. |
9. a. To come to an end (in space); esp. to have its end or extremity at a specified place, or of a specified form; to end at, in, or with something.
| 1644 Evelyn Diary 27 Feb., A spacious gravel walke terminating in a grotto. 1675 Ogilby Brit. Pref. 3 Ascending till it terminate at the Top of the..Scroll. 1769 Cook Voy. round World 24 Apr. i. x. (1773) II. 99 These hills..continued for about three miles more, and then terminated in a large plain. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 227 Their tails terminate with a hard horny spur. 1862 Stanley Jew. Ch. (1877) I. v. 107 The spot where the present gulf terminates. 1868 Owen Vertebr. Anim. III. 414 The left extremity of the stomach is bifid, and terminates in two round cul-de-sacs. |
b. Of a word: To end in (a letter or sound).
| 1824 L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. iii. 84 Sometimes also, when the singular terminates in ss, the apostrophic s is not added: as, ‘For goodness' sake’. 1865 Pall Mall G. 25 July 4/1 Greek compounds terminating in ‘on’ are very fashionable, and have a truly learned smack. |
10. To come to an end, so as to extend no further; to have its end or terminus in something; † also, to be confined or restricted within specified limits.
| 1613 Jackson Creed i. xxiv. §5 The like fearful earthquakes..fell out in Trajan's time at Antioch; but the harms [did] not terminate within her territories or the cities about her. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 130 The testimonies of ancient Writers..are but derivative, and terminate all in one Aristeus. a 1677 Hale Prim. Orig. Man. 19 My Understanding doth truly conclude that all this vicissitude of things must terminate in a first cause of things. a 1784 Johnson in Boswell (1816) I. 23 The rod produces an effect which terminates in itself. |
11. a. To come to an end (in time); to end, cease, conclude, close.
| 1789 J. Woodforde Diary 24 Mar. (1927) III. 91 His case is a violent Stranguary and if some remedy or other does not soon, very soon do good, it will terminate fatally to him. 1815 Wordsw. Sonn., ‘The fairest brightest hues’ 2 The sweetest notes must terminate and die. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ix. II. 519 At length the repast terminated. 1872 Yeats Techn. Hist. Comm. 375 The Middle Ages may be said to terminate with the invention of printing. |
b. To issue, result (in something): = end v.1 5 b.
| 1710 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) VI. 620 There has been a 2d battle in Spain, which terminated in favour of King Charles. 1775 J. Bryant Mythol. II. 308 The fate of Semiramis terminated in her being turned into a pigeon. 1867 H. Macmillan Bible Teach. x. (1870) 204 A career of worldliness and sin terminates in impenitence and despair. |
Hence ˈterminating vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1656 tr. Hobbes' Elem. Philos. (1839) 179 Within the same terminating lines there can be no more than one plane superficies. 1776 Withering Brit. Plants (1796) II. 187 Lateral and terminating fruit stalks. 1807 Hutton Course Math. II. 75 At 954, the end of the first line, the o denotes its terminating in the hedge. 1837 G. Phillips Syriac Gram. 4 The addition of a terminating consonant. |