I. ter ‧ mi ‧ nal 1 AC /ˈtɜːmən ə l, ˈtɜːmɪn ə l $ ˈtɜːr-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: terminalis , from terminus ; ⇨ ↑ term 1 ]
1 . a terminal illness cannot be cured, and causes death ⇨ fatal :
terminal cancer
2 . (in) terminal decline British English in a state of becoming worse and worse and never getting better:
The once great industry is now in terminal decline.
—terminally adverb :
terminally ill patients
II. terminal 2 AC BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a big building where people wait to get onto planes, buses, or ships, or where goods are loaded:
the airport’s passenger terminal
ferry/bus terminal
2 . a piece of computer equipment consisting of at least a ↑ keyboard and a screen, that you use for putting in or taking out information from a large computer
3 . one of the points at which you can connect wires in an electrical ↑ circuit
positive/negative terminal
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ terminal a big building where people wait to get onto planes:
The airline uses terminal 4.
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Smoking is prohibited inside the terminal building.
▪ runway a long hard surface on which aircraft land and take off:
The plane was taxiing along the runway.
▪ the tarmac an area covered with tarmac outside airport buildings:
He stepped off the plane onto the tarmac.
▪ check-in (desk) a place where you report your arrival at an airport
▪ departure lounge the place where you wait until your plane is ready to leave
▪ departure gate the place you go through to get on your plane:
Will passengers for flight BA670 please go to the departure gate.
▪ baggage reclaim ( also baggage claim ) American English the place where you collect your cases and bags after a flight
▪ immigration the place where officials check the documents of everyone entering the country:
Be prepared for long queues at immigration.
▪ customs the place where your bags are checked for illegal goods when you enter a country:
We had our bags checked at customs.