[term] n [ME terme boundary, end, fr. OF, fr. L terminus; akin to Gk termon boundary, end, Skt tarman top of a post] (13c) 1 a: end, termination; also: a point in time assigned to something (as a payment) b: the time at which a pregnancy of normal length terminates "had her baby at full ~"
2. a: a limited or definite extent of time; esp: the time for which something lasts: duration, tenure "~ of office" "lost money in the short ~" b: the whole period for which an estate is granted; also: the estate or interest held by one for a term c: the time during which a court is in session 3 pl: provisions that determine the nature and scope of an agreement: conditions "~s of sale" "liberal credit ~s"
4. a: a word or expression that has a precise meaning in some uses or is peculiar to a science, art, profession, or subject "legal ~s" b pl: expression of a specified kind "described in glowing ~s"
5. a: a unitary or compound expression connected with another by a plus or minus sign b: an element of a fraction or proportion or of a series or sequence
6. pl a: mutual relationship: footing "on good ~s" b: agreement, concord "come to ~s" 7: any of the three substantive elements of a syllogism 8: a quadrangular pillar often tapering downward and adorned on the top with the figure of a head or the upper part of the body 9: division in a school year during which instruction is regularly given to students -- in terms of : with respect to or in relation to "thinks of everything in terms of money" -- on one's own terms : in accordance with one's wishes: in one's own way "prefers to live on his own terms"
[2]term vt (ca. 1557): to apply a term to: call, name