terminal

adj 1: being or situated at an end; "the endmost pillar"; "terminal

buds on a branch"; "a terminal station"; "the terminal

syllable" [syn: {endmost}]

2: of or relating to or situated at the ends of a delivery

route; "freight pickup is a terminal service"; "terminal

charges"

3: relating to or occurring in a term or fixed period of time;

"terminal examinations"; "terminal payments"

4: occurring at or forming an end or termination; "his

concluding words came as a surprise"; "the final chapter";

"the last days of the dinosaurs"; "terminal leave" [syn: {concluding},

{final}, {last}]

5: causing or ending in or approaching death; "a terminal

patient"; "terminal cancer"

n 1: where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or goods

[syn: {terminus}, {depot}]

2: a point on an electrical device (such as a battery) at which

electric current enters or leaves [syn: {pole}]

3: an input-output device providing access to a computer; has a

keyboard and display

terminal

1. An electronic or electromechanical device for

entering data into a computer or a communications system and

displaying data received. Early terminals were called

{teletype}s, later ones {VDU}s. Typically a terminal

communicates with the computer via a {serial line}.

2. The end of a {line} where signals are either

transmitted or received, or a point along the length of a line

where the signals are made available to apparatus.

3. Apparatus to send and/or receive signals on a

{line}.

(1995-10-02)