[syn: terminal, terminus, depot]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Terminal \Ter"mi*nal\, n.
1. That which terminates or ends; termination; extremity.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Eccl.) Either of the ends of the conducting circuit of an
electrical apparatus, as an inductorium, dynamo, or
electric motor, usually provided with binding screws for
the attachment of wires by which a current may be conveyed
into or from the machine; a pole.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Railroads)
(a) The end of a line of railroad, with the switches,
stations, sheds, and other appliances pertaining
thereto.
(b) Any station for the delivery or receipt of freight
lying too far from the main line to be served by mere
sidings.
(c) A rate charged on all freight, independent of the
distance, and supposed to cover the expenses of
station service, as distinct from mileage rate,
generally proportionate to the distance and intended
to cover movement expenses; a terminal charge.
(d) A town lying at the end of a railroad, in which the
terminal is located; -- more properly called a
terminus.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
4. The station at either end of a bus line line which
transports freight or passengers.
[PJC]
5. A station where passenger buses start or end a trip; --
also called bus terminal.
[PJC]
6. The structure at an airport where passengers board or
debark, and where ticket purchases and baggage pickup is
performed; -- also called airline terminal.
[PJC]
7. (Computers) An electronic device where data may be entered
into a computer, and information received from it, usually
consisting of a keyboard and video display unit (monitor);
the terminal may be integrated or connected directly to a
computer, or connected by a communications circuit with a
computer at a remote location; -- also called computer
terminal.
[PJC]
freight terminal, a terminal used for loading or unloading
of freight.
[PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Terminus \Ter"mi*nus\, n.; pl. Termini. [L. See Term.]
1. Literally, a boundary; a border; a limit.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Myth.) The Roman divinity who presided over boundaries,
whose statue was properly a short pillar terminating in
the bust of a man, woman, satyr, or the like, but often
merely a post or stone stuck in the ground on a boundary
line.
[1913 Webster]
3. Hence, any post or stone marking a boundary; a term. See
Term, 8.
[1913 Webster]
4. Either end of a railroad line; also, the station house, or
the town or city, at that place.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
terminus
n 1: a place where something ends or is complete [syn: end
point, endpoint, termination, terminus]
2: the ultimate goal for which something is done [syn:
destination, terminus]
3: (architecture) a statue or a human bust or an animal carved
out of the top of a square pillar; originally used as a
boundary marker in ancient Rome [syn: terminus, terminal
figure, term]
4: either end of a railroad or bus route
5: station where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or
goods [syn: terminal, terminus, depot]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
163 Moby Thesaurus words for "terminus":
L, Z, anchorage, apodosis, border line, bound, boundary,
boundary condition, boundary line, bourn, branch, break boundary,
breakoff point, cable railway, catastrophe, cease, ceasing,
ceiling, cessation, circumscription, close, coda, cog railway,
compass, completing, completion, conclusion, confine, consummation,
crack of doom, culmination, curtain, curtains, cutoff,
cutoff point, deadline, death, decease, delimitation, denouement,
desistance, destination, destiny, determinant, division line, doom,
effect, el, electric railway, elevated, elevated railway,
embankment, end, end point, ending, envoi, epilogue, eschatology,
expiration, extremity, fate, feeder, feeder line, final solution,
final twitch, final words, finale, finality, finis, finish,
finishing, floor, frontier, full development, goal,
gravity-operated railway, harbor, haven, hedge, high-water mark,
horse railway, interface, izzard, junction, last, last breath,
last gasp, last stop, last things, last trumpet, last words,
latter end, light railroad, limen, limit, limitation,
limiting factor, line, line of demarcation, low-water mark,
lower limit, main line, march, mark, maturation, maturity, mete,
metro, monorail, omega, payoff, perfection, period, peroration,
port, quietus, rack railway, rack-and-pinion railway, rail,
rail line, railroad, railway, resolution, resting place, ripeness,
roadbed, roadway, rounding off, rounding out, sidetrack, siding,
start, starting line, starting point, stop, stoppage,
stopping place, street railway, streetcar line, subway, swan song,
switchback, target date, term, terminal, terminal date,
terminal point, termination, threshold, time allotment,
topping off, track, tram, tramline, trestle, trolley line, trunk,
trunk line, tube, turnout, underground, upper limit, windup