Termination noun [ Latin terminatio a bounding, fixing, determining: confer French terminasion , Old French also termination . See Term .]
1. The act of terminating, or of limiting or setting bounds; the act of ending or concluding; as, a voluntary termination of hostilities.

2. That which ends or bounds; limit in space or extent; bound; end; as, the termination of a line.

3. End in time or existence; as, the termination of the year, or of life; the termination of happiness.

4. End; conclusion; result. Hallam.

5. Last purpose of design. [ R.]

6. A word; a term. [ R. & Obsolete] Shak.

7. (Gram.) The ending of a word; a final syllable or letter; the part added to a stem in inflection.

Terminational adjective Of or pertaining to termination; forming a termination.

Terminative adjective Tending or serving to terminate; terminating; determining; definitive. Bp. Rust. -- Ter"mi*na*tive*ly , adverb Jer. Taylor.

Terminator noun [ Latin , he who limits or sets bounds.]
1. One who, or that which, terminates.

2. (Astron.) The dividing line between the illuminated and the unilluminated part of the moon.

Terminatory adjective Terminative.

Termine transitive verb [ Confer French terminer .] To terminate. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Terminer noun [ French terminer to bound, limit, end. See Terminate .] (Law) A determining; as, in oyer and terminer . See Oyer .

Terminism noun The doctrine held by the Terminists.

Terminist noun [ Confer French terministe .] (Theol.) One of a class of theologians who maintain that God has fixed a certain term for the probation of individual persons, during which period, and no longer, they have the offer to grace. Murdock.

Terminological adjective Of or pertaining to terminology. -- Ter`mi*no*log"ic*al*ly , adverb

Terminology noun [ Latin terminus term + -logy : confer French terminologie .]
1. The doctrine of terms; a theory of terms or appellations; a treatise on terms.

2. The terms actually used in any business, art, science, or the like; nomenclature; technical terms; as, the terminology of chemistry.

The barbarous effect produced by a German structure of sentence, and a terminology altogether new.

De Quincey.

Terminus noun ; plural Termini . [ Latin See Term .]
1. Literally, a boundary; a border; a limit.

2. (Myth.) The Roman divinity who presided over boundaries, whose statue was properly a short pillar terminating in the bust of a man, woman, satyr, or the like, but often merely a post or stone stuck in the ground on a boundary line.

3. Hence, any post or stone marking a boundary; a term. See Term , 8.

4. Either end of a railroad line; also, the station house, or the town or city, at that place.

Termite noun ; plural Termites . [ French See Termes .] (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of pseudoneoropterous insects belonging to Termes and allied genera; -- called also white ant . See Illust. of White ant .

» They are very abundant in tropical countries, and are noted for their destructive habits, their large nests, their remarkable social instincts, and their division of labor among the polymorphic individuals of several kinds. Besides the males and females, each nest has ordinary workers, and large-headed individuals called soldiers .

Termless adjective
1. Having no term or end; unlimited; boundless; unending; as, termless time. [ R.] " Termless joys." Sir W. Raleigh.

2. Inexpressible; indescribable. [ R.] Shak.

Termly adjective Occurring every term; as, a termly fee. [ R.] Bacon.

Termly adverb Term by term; every term. [ R.] "Fees . . . that are termly given." Bacon.

Termonology noun [ Greek ..., ..., boundary, end + -logy .] Terminology. [ R.]

Termor noun (Law) Same as Termer , 2.

Tern (tẽrn) noun [ Danish terne , tærne ; akin to Swedish tärna , Icelandic þerna ; confer New Latin sterna .] (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of long-winged aquatic birds, allied to the gulls, and belonging to Sterna and various allied genera.

» Terns differ from gulls chiefly in their graceful form, in their weaker and more slender bills and feet, and their longer and more pointed wings. The tail is usually forked. Most of the species are white with the back and wings pale gray, and often with a dark head. The common European tern ( Sterna hirundo ) is found also in Asia and America. Among other American species are the arctic tern ( S. paradisæa ), the roseate tern ( S. Dougalli ), the least tern ( S. Antillarum ), the royal tern ( S. maxima ), and the sooty tern ( S. fuliginosa ).

Hooded tern . See Fairy bird , under Fairy . -- Marsh tern , any tern of the genus Hydrochelidon . They frequent marshes and rivers and feed largely upon insects. -- River tern , any tern belonging to Seëna or allied genera which frequent rivers. -- Sea tern , any tern of the genus Thalasseus . Terns of this genus have very long, pointed wings, and chiefly frequent seas and the mouths of large rivers.

Tern adjective [ Latin plural terni three each, three; akin to tres three. See Three , and confer Trine .] Threefold; triple; consisting of three; ternate.

Tern flowers (Botany) , flowers growing three and three together. -- Tern leaves (Botany) , leaves arranged in threes, or three by three, or having three in each whorl or set. -- Tern peduncles (Botany) , three peduncles growing together from the same axis. -- Tern schooner (Nautical) , a three-masted schooner.

Tern noun [ French terne . See Tern , adjective ] That which consists of, or pertains to, three things or numbers together; especially, a prize in a lottery resulting from the favorable combination of three numbers in the drawing; also, the three numbers themselves.

She'd win a tern in Thursday's lottery.

Mrs. Browning.

Ternary adjective [ Latin ternarius , from terni . See Tern , adjective ]
1. Proceeding by threes; consisting of three; as, the ternary number was anciently esteemed a symbol of perfection, and held in great veneration.

2. (Chemistry) Containing, or consisting of, three different parts, as elements, atoms, groups, or radicals, which are regarded as having different functions or relations in the molecule; thus, sodic hydroxide, NaOH, is a ternary compound.

Ternary noun ; plural Ternaries A ternion; the number three; three things taken together; a triad.

Some in ternaries , some in pairs, and some single.

Holder.

Ternate adjective [ New Latin ternatus , from Latin terni three each. See Tern , adjective ] Having the parts arranged by threes; as, ternate branches, leaves, or flowers. -- Ter"nate*ly , adverb

Terneplate noun [ See Tern , adjective , and Plate .] Thin iron sheets coated with an alloy of lead and tin; -- so called because made up of three metals.

Ternion noun [ Latin ternio , from terni three each. See Tern , adjective ] The number three; three things together; a ternary. Bp. Hall.

Terpene noun [ See Turpentine .] (Chemistry) Any one of a series of isomeric hydrocarbons of pleasant aromatic odor, occurring especially in coniferous plants and represented by oil of turpentine, but including also certain hydrocarbons found in some essential oils.

Terpentic adjective (Chemistry) Terpenylic.

Terpenylic adjective [ Terpene + - yl + -ic .] (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid, C ₈ H ₁₂ O ₄ (called also terpentic acid ), homologous with terebic acid, and obtained as a white crystalline substance by the oxidation of oil of turpentine with chromic acid.

Terpilene noun (Chemistry) A polymeric form of terpene, resembling terbene.

Terpin noun (Chemistry) A white crystalline substance regarded as a hydrate of oil of turpentine.

Terpinol noun [ Terpin + Latin ol eum oil.] (Chemistry) Any oil substance having a hyacinthine odor, obtained by the action of acids on terpin, and regarded as a related hydrate.

Terpsichore noun [ Latin , from Greek ...; ... enjoyment (fr. ... to gladden) + ... dance, dancing.] (Gr. Myth.) The Muse who presided over the choral song and the dance, especially the latter.

Terpsichorean adjective Of or pertaining to Terpsichore; of or pertaining to dancing.

Terra noun [ Italian & Latin See Terrace .] The earth; earth.

Terra alba [ Latin , white earth] (Com.) , a white amorphous earthy substance consisting of burnt gypsum, aluminium silicate (kaolin), or some similar ingredient, as magnesia. It is sometimes used to adulterate certain foods, spices, candies, paints, etc. -- Terra cotta . [ Italian , from terra earth + cotta , fem. of cotto cooked, Latin coctus , past participle of coquere to cook. See Cook , noun ] Baked clay; a kind of hard pottery used for statues, architectural decorations, figures, vases, and the like. -- Terræ filius [ Latin , son of the earth], formerly, one appointed to write a satirical Latin poem at the public acts in the University of Oxford; -- not unlike the prevaricator at Cambridge, England. -- Terra firma [ Latin ], firm or solid earth, as opposed to water . -- Terra Japonica . [ New Latin ] Same as Gambier . It was formerly supposed to be a kind of earth from Japan. -- Terra Lemnia [ Latin , Lemnian earth], Lemnian earth. See under Lemnian . -- Terra ponderosa [ Latin , ponderous earth] (Min.) , barite, or heavy spar. -- Terra di Sienna . See Sienna .

Terra incognita [ Latin ] An unknown land; unexplored country.

The enormous tracts lying outside China proper, still almost terræ incognitæ .

A. R. Colquhoun.

Terrace noun [ French terrasse (cf. Spanish terraza , Italian terrazza ), from Latin terra the earth, probably for tersa , originally meaning, dry land, and akin to torrere to parch, English torrid , and thirst . See Thirst , and confer Fumitory , Inter , v. , Patterre , Terrier , Trass , Tureen , Turmeric .]
1. A raised level space, shelf, or platform of earth, supported on one or more sides by a wall, a bank of tuft, or the like, whether designed for use or pleasure.

2. A balcony, especially a large and uncovered one.

3. A flat roof to a house; as, the buildings of the Oriental nations are covered with terraces .

4. A street, or a row of houses, on a bank or the side of a hill; hence, any street, or row of houses.

5. (Geol.) A level plain, usually with a steep front, bordering a river, a lake, or sometimes the sea.

» Many rivers are bordered by a series of terraces at different levels, indicating the flood plains at successive periods in their history.

Terrace epoch . (Geol.) See Drift epoch , under Drift , adjective

Terrace transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Terraced ; present participle & verbal noun Terracing .] To form into a terrace or terraces; to furnish with a terrace or terraces, as, to terrace a garden, or a building. Sir H. Wotton.

Clermont's terraced height, and Esher's groves.

Thomson.

Terraculture noun [ Latin terra the earth + cultura .] Cultivation on the earth; agriculture. [ R.] -- Ter`ra*cul"tur*al adjective [ R.]

Terrane noun [ French terrain , from Latin terra earth.] (Geol.) A group of rocks having a common age or origin; -- nearly equivalent to formation , but used somewhat less comprehensively.

Terrane noun (Geology) A region or limited area considered with reference to some special feature; as, the terrane of a river, that is, its drainage basin.

Terrapin noun [ Probably of American Indian origin.] (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of tortoises living in fresh and brackish waters. Many of them are valued for food. [ Written also terapin , terrapen , terrapene , and turapen .]

» The yellow-bellied terrapin ( Pseudemys acebra ) of the Southern United States, the red-bellied terrapin ( Pseudemys rugosa ), native of the tributaries Chesapeake Bay (called also potter , slider , and redfender ), and the diamond-back or salt-marsh terrapin ( Malaclemmys palustris ), are the most important American species. The diamond-back terrapin is native of nearly the whole of the Atlantic coast of the United States.

Alligator terrapin , the snapping turtle. -- Mud terrapin , any one of numerous species of American tortoises of the genus Cinosternon . -- Painted terrapin , the painted turtle. See under Painted . -- Speckled terrapin , a small fresh-water American terrapin ( Chelopus guttatus ) having the carapace black with round yellow spots; -- called also spotted turtle .

Terraqueous adjective [ Latin terra the earth + English aqueous .] Consisting of land and water; as, the earth is a terraqueous globe. Cudworth.

The grand terraqueous spectacle
From center to circumference unveiled.

Wordsworth.

Terrar noun [ Late Latin terrarius liber . See Terrier a collection of acknowledgments.] (O. Eng. Law) See 2d Terrier , 2.

Terras noun (Min.) See ...rass .

Terreen noun See Turren .

Terreity noun Quality of being earthy; earthiness. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Terrel noun [ New Latin terrella , from Latin terra the earth.] A spherical magnet so placed that its poles, equator, etc., correspond to those of the earth. [ Obsolete] Chambers.

Terremote noun [ Old French terremote , terremoete , from Latin terra the earth + movere , motum , to move.] An earthquake. [ Obsolete] Gower.