[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. To direct (an action) to something as object or end (cf. TERM sb. 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. 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. Mme. D’Arblay, 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. Sophia 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.
† 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 power 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. 164. 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. 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 April, 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.
20. 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. To come to an end (in time); to end, cease, conclude, close.
1815. Wordsw., Sonn., ‘The fairest brightest hues,’ 2. The sweetest notes must terminate and die.
1830. J. Emerson, Lect. Millennium, 209. We have seen, that probably the 1260 years will terminate, and the time of the end commence, in the year 1866.
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 Terminating vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1656. trans. 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.
