termination

plural terminations

1. countableuncountableThe process of terminating or the state of being terminated.

   At all terminal stations, where running speeds are low, fixed termination simple catenary equipment has been installed.

   1959 June 28, “Clacton and Walton Electrification”, in Railway Magazine, page 379

   Synonyms: discontinuation, stoppage · Antonyms: continuation

2. countableuncountableThe process of firing an employee; ending one's employment at a business for any reason.

   Synonyms: discharge, dismissal

3. countableuncountableAn end in time; a conclusion.

   Synonyms: close, conclusion, end, finale, finish, stop

4. countableuncountableAn end in space; an edge or limit.

   Synonyms: border, edge, end, limit, lip, rim, tip

5. countableuncountableAn outcome or result.

   1 more example

   Long indeed did that morning appear to Francesca—the longer as her anxiety was unexpressed; for it certainly does shorten a period of waiting not a little to spend it in talking over its various probabilities of termination, wondering what will happen, while we are consoled by the strong sympathy we excite in the listener.

   1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 111

   Synonyms: consequence, outcome, result, upshot

6. countableuncountablegrammarThe last part of a word.

   Women's names were formed in the same way as men's, but with feminine terminations […]

   1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii

   1 more example

   1. Some adjectives of the third declension have three terminations in the nominative singular,—one for each gender; some two,—one for the masculine and feminine, the other for the neuter; and some, only one for all genders. 1. Verbs whose terminations are alike, are said to be of the same conjugation. 2. Latin verbs are divided into four conjugations.

   1849, E. A. Andrews, A First Latin Book; Or Progressive Lessons in Reading and Writing Latin, 2nd edition, Boston, page 52 & 69

   Synonyms: ending, desinence

7. countableuncountablemedicineAn induced abortion.

   Synonyms: abortion, induced abortion

8. countableobsoleterareuncountableA word, a term.

   She speaks poniards, and every word stabs: if her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her; she would infect to the north star.

   1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

   1 more example

   1808, Humphry Davy, The Bakerian Lecture, on some new Phenomena of chemical Changes produced by Electricity, particularly the Decomposition of the fixed Alkalis, and on the Exhibition of the new substances which constitute their bases; and on the general Nature of alkaline Bodies, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Part 1, p. 32. [O]n this idea, in naming the bases of potash and soda, it will be proper to adopt the termination which, by common consent, has been applied to other newly discovered metals... Potasium and sodium are the names...

9. countableuncountableThe ending up of a polypeptide chain.