any distinct quantity contained in a polynomial
"the general term of an algebraic equation of the n-th degree"
one of the substantive phrases in a logical proposition
"the major term of a syllogism must occur twice"
(architecture) a statue or a human bust or an animal carved out of the top of a square pillar; originally used as a boundary marker in ancient Rome
"The architect decided to replace the plain stone column cap with an ornate eagle term that would serve as both a decorative finial and a symbolic guardian for the temple entrance."
That which limits the extent of anything; limit, extremity, bound, boundary.
"The newly hired manager treated the term employee as a permanent fixture, unaware that his position had already been cut from the budget."
A computer program that emulates a physical terminal.
One whose employment has been terminated
In plain English: A term is a specific period of time used for school classes, government meetings, or regular payments.
"The teacher explained that every term has a specific beginning and end date."
name formally or designate with a term
"The committee decided to officially use the term "sustainable development" in their new policy document."
To phrase a certain way; to name or call.
"I decided to term my position at the company last week after finding a better opportunity elsewhere."
To terminate one's employment
In plain English: To end something officially is to make it stop happening.
"The professor will not term this behavior acceptable under any circumstances."
Born or delivered at term.
"The doctor confirmed that despite the complications, the baby was born at full term."
In plain English: When something is described as term, it means it is made of a specific material like wool or cotton instead of being synthetic.
"The short-term goals for this project are to finish by Friday."
Usage: Use this adjective to indicate that a baby was born after reaching full maturity, typically around 37 to 42 weeks of gestation. It specifically describes the timing of delivery rather than general health status.
The word "term" entered Middle English from Old French, where it originally referred to a physical boundary or limit before expanding in Medieval Latin to include meanings like time periods and covenants. Ultimately tracing back to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "stump" or "end," the term traveled into English with this broad sense of limitation that evolved over centuries.