ˈtə:mɪnəs n. (pl.
termini or terminuses) 1 a
station at
the end of a
railway or
bus route. 2 a
point at the end of a
pipeline etc. 3 a
final point, a
goal. 4 a starting-point. 5
Math. the end-point of a
vector etc. 6 Archit. a
figure of a
human bust or an
animal ending in a
square pillar from which it appears to
spring, orig. as a boundary-marker. ø terminus ad quem the finishing-point of an
argument, policy,
period, etc. terminus
ante quem the finishing-point of a period. terminus a quo the starting-point of an argument, policy, period, etc. terminus post quem the starting-point of a period. [L, = end,
limit, boundary]