Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - terminus

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. Phrases and idioms 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. Etymology: L, = end, limit, boundary