/ ˈtɜːmɪnl; NAmE ˈtɜːrm-/ noun , adjective
■ noun
1.
a building or set of buildings at an airport where air passengers arrive and leave :
A second terminal was opened in 1998.
2.
a place, building or set of buildings where journeys by train, bus or boat begin or end :
a railway / bus / ferry terminal
3.
( computing ) a piece of equipment, usually consisting of a keyboard and a screen that joins the user to a central computer system
4.
( technical ) a point at which connections can be made in an electric circuit :
a positive / negative terminal
■ adjective
1.
( of an illness or a disease ) that cannot be cured and will lead to death, often slowly :
He has terminal lung cancer.
The illness is usually terminal.
( figurative )
She's suffering from terminal (= very great) boredom.
2.
( of a person ) suffering from an illness that cannot be cured and will lead to death :
a terminal patient
3.
certain to get worse and come to an end :
The industry is in terminal decline .
4.
[ only before noun ] ( formal or technical ) at the end of sth :
a terminal branch of a tree
terminal examinations (= at the end of a course, etc.)
► ter·min·al·ly / -nəli; NAmE / adverb :
a hospice for the terminally ill
a terminally dull film
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: from Latin terminalis , from terminus end, boundary.