| 释义 |
terminable, a. (n.)|ˈtɜːmɪnəb(ə)l|
[f. termine v. + -able. Cf. OF. terminable that comes to an end, not eternal (13th c. in Godef.).]
A. adj.
†1. That may be or is to be terminated, determined, or finally decided. Obs.
1424Acts Privy Counc. III. 149 Alle the billes that comprehende materes terminable at the commune lawe..be remitted there to be determined. c1450Cov. Myst. xxv. (1841) 246 Cayphas... Of the lawe of Moyses I have a chef governawns, To severe ryth and wrong in me is termynable. Ibid. xxix. 291 My sovereyn Lord, heyest of excillens, In ȝou alle jewgement is termynabyle.
2. Capable of being or liable to be terminated; that may come or be brought to an end (usually, in time); limitable, finite; not lasting or perpetual.
terminable annuity, an annuity which comes to an end after a definite term: see annuity 3; terminable annuitant, one who holds a terminable annuity. minimum terminable unit (see quot. 1975); abbrev. T-unit s.v. T 7.
1581Hanmer Jesuites Banner K iv b, Although the offence be infinite, and the satisfaction finite, or terminable. 1656tr. Hobbes' Elem. Philos. (1839) 99 Space or time is said to be finite in power, or terminable, when there may be assigned a number of finite spaces or times, as of paces or hours. 1820G. G. Carey Funds 79 To find the cost..of a terminable annuity. 1858W. M. Campion in Cambr. Ess. 199 Treated as a mere terminable annuitant. 1874Motley Barneveld II. xv. 185 Terminable at pleasure of any one. 1965[see T-unit s.v. T 7]. 1975Language for Life (Dept. Educ. & Sci.) iii. 39 The minimum terminable unit, or T-unit, is ‘roughly any sentence or part of a sentence that is an independent clause, possibly containing, however, one or more dependent clauses’.
†B. n. in phr. in terminables: ? in definite terms, definitely (cf. in terms, term n. 14 b). Obs. rare—1.
a1568‘For Helth of Body’, etc. 70 in Bannatyne Poems (Hunter, Cl.) 198 Woyd all drinking with lymmaris and lechouris, And this I say in terminablis, I gess, Off dyce playeris and commoun hasardouris.
Hence terminaˈbility, ˈterminableness, the quality of being terminable; ˈterminably adv., in the way of being terminable; in quot. 1584, within definite limits of space.
1584R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. (1886) 470 The holie spirit is [not] in us as a bodie placed in a place terminablie. 1846Worcester, Terminableness. 1850D. Thomas Crisis Being iii. 51 Hell, its existence or non-existence, its terminableness or eternity. 1858Goldw. Smith in Oxford Ess. 279 The choice between holding the fellowship perpetually as a resident, or terminably with leave of non-residence. 1884Q. Rev. Jan. 9 He relies..on the terminability of the office. 1887Saintsbury Hist. Elizab. Lit. ix. (1890) 344 An exception to the general rule of the terminableness of copyright. |