1550s, "goal, end, final point," from Latin terminus (plural termini) "end, boundary line," from PIE *ter-men-, from root *ter-, base of words meaning "peg, post, boundary, marker, goal" (cognates: Sanskrit tarati "passes over, crosses over," tarantah "sea;" Hittite tarmaizzi "he limits;" Greek terma "boundary, end, limit;" Gothic tairh, Old English turh "through;" Old English tyrel "hole;" Old Norse tr?mr "edge, chip, splinter").
In ancient Rome, Terminus was the name of the deity who presided over boundaries and landmarks, focus of the important Roman festival of Terminalia (held Feb. 23, the end of the old Roman year). Meaning "either end of a transportation line" is first recorded 1836.
雙語(yǔ)例句
1. We arrived at the terminus.
我們到達(dá)了終點(diǎn)站.
來(lái)自《簡(jiǎn)明英漢詞典》
2. Trains vomit out crowds of passengers at a terminus.
成群的旅客在終點(diǎn)站從列車中擠出來(lái).
來(lái)自辭典例句
3. Casablanca was the terminus of a long, rickety railway line.