τέρμα
English (LSJ)
ατος, τό,
A end, boundary, chiefly poet.: I goal round which horses and chariots had to turn at races, περὶ τέρμαθ' ἑλισσέμεν Il.23.309; περὶ τ. βαλούσας, εὖ σχεθέειν περὶ τέρμα, ib.462,466; τέρματα θεῖναι or σημῆναι, ib.333,358; ἔστασεν ἐν τέρμασιν ἀγῶνος Pi.P. 9.114; τ. δωδεκάγναμπτον, i.e. doubled twelve times, Id.O.3.33; δρόμου τέρματα dub. l. in S.El.686; ἐξωτέρω ἀποκάμπτειν τοῦ τ. Arist. Rh.1409b23. 2 mark set to show how far a quoit was thrown, ἔθηκε δὲ τέρματ' Ἀθήνη Od.8.193. 3 metaph., issue, event, A. Ag.781,1177 (both lyr.). II generally, end, limit, δολιχῆς τ. κελεύθου Id.Pr.286 (anap.), cf. 706, 823; ποῦ τὸ τ. τῆς φυγῆς; Id.Eu. 422: pl., ὁδοῦ τέρματα Thgn.1166; ἐπὶ τέρμασι τοῖσι ἐκείνης (sc. τῆς Εὐρώπης) Hdt.7.54; συνάγουσι τὰ τέρματα (oftwo rivers) they contract their bounds, i.e. draw together and so contract the space between them, Id.4.52: metaph., πλούτου τέρμα a limit to wealth, Thgn. 227. 2 end, in point of time or distance, ἐπὶ τέρμ' ἀφίκετο reached the limit, was at the end, S.Aj.48; Ἑρμῆς σφ' ἄγει . . πρὸς αὐτὸτ. Id.El.1397 (lyr.); βιότουτ. the term or end of life, death, Simon. 85.13; τ. βίου or τοῦ βίου, A.Fr.362, S.OT1530 (troch.), E.Alc.643; γήρως ἐσχάτοις πρὸς τ. Id.Andr.1081; τ. μόχθων, πόνων, ἄθλου, A.Pr.100 (anap.), 186 (lyr.), 259; Σισύφου πέτρος ἀνήνυτος, οὗ τὰ τέρματα αὖθις ἄρχει πόνων Pl.Ax.371e; ἐπὶ τέρματι at last, A.Eu.633: also τέρμα abs., like τέλος, Ps.-Phoc.138. 3 culmination, highest point, goal, τ. ἀέθλων prize, Pi.I.4(3).85(67); κακῶν E.Supp. 369 (lyr.); πρὸς τέρμασιν ὥρας Ar.Av.705; τέρματα νίκης Archestr. Fr.34.10; τ. τέχνης Parrhas. 2; ὑγιείας ἀκόρεστον τ. the bounds of health are insatiable, A.Ag.1002 (lyr.); ἀγχόνης τέρματα Id.Eu.746; θανάτου τ. E.Hipp.140 (lyr.). 4 highest power, supremacy, τ. Κορίνθου ἔχειν to be sovereign of Corinth, Simon.112; θεοὶ . . πάντων τέρμ' ἔχοντες E.Supp.617 (lyr.); σωτηρίας γὰρ τέρμ' ἔχεις ἡμῖν μόνη you are the arbiter . ., Id.Or.1343; τ. τῆς σωτηρίας final pledge . ., S.OC725; δαίμονες οἳ φιλίης τέρματ' . . ἔχετε AP12.170 (Diosc.). (Cf. τέρμων, τέρθρον, Skt. tárati, tiráti 'cross, win through, overcome', Lat. terminus, trans, in-trare.)