end
1the last part or extremity, lengthwise, of anything that is longer than it is wide or broad: the end of a street;the end of a rope.
a part or place at or adjacent to an extremity: at the end of the table;the west end of town.
the furthermost imaginable place or point: an island at the very end of the world.
termination; conclusion: The journey was coming to an end.
the concluding part: The end of her speech had to be cut short because of time.
an intention or aim: to gain one's ends.
the object for which a thing exists; purpose: The happiness of the people is the end of government.
an outcome or result: What is to be the end of all this bickering?
termination of existence; death: He met a horrible end.
a cause of death, destruction, or ruin: Another war would be the end of civilization.
a remnant or fragment: mill end;ends and trimmings.
a share or part in something: He does his end of the job very well.
Textiles. a warp thread running vertically and interlaced with the filling yarn in the woven fabric.
Football.
either of the linemen: stationed farthest from the center.
the position played by this lineman.
Archery. the number of arrows to be shot by a competitor during one turn in a match.
Cricket. a wicket, especially the one where the batsman is taking a turn.
a unit of a game, as in curling or lawn bowling.
Kantianism. any rational being, regarded as worthy to exist for its own sake.
either half of a domino.
Knots. the part of a rope, beyond a knot or the like, that is not used.
the end, Slang. the ultimate; the utmost of good or bad: His stupidity is the end.
to bring to an end or conclusion: We ended the discussion on a note of optimism.
to put an end to; terminate: This was the battle that ended the war.
to form the end of: This passage ends the novel.
to cause the demise of; kill: A bullet through the heart ended him.
to constitute the most outstanding or greatest possible example or instance of (usually used in the infinitive): You just committed the blunder to end all blunders.
to come to an end; terminate; cease: The road ends at Rome.
to issue or result: Extravagance ends in want.
to reach or arrive at a final condition, circumstance, or goal (often followed by up): to end up in the army;to end as a happy person.
final or ultimate: the end result.
Idioms about end
at loose ends, without an occupation or plans; unsettled; uncertain: He spent two years wandering about the country at loose ends.
at one's wit's end, at the end of one's ideas or mental resources; perplexed: I'm at my wit's end with this problem.: Also at one's wits' end.
at the end of the day. See entry at at the end of the day.
end for end, in reverse position; inverted: The cartons were turned end for end.
end on, with the end next to or facing: He backed the truck until it was end on with the loading platform.
end to end, in a row with ends touching: The pipes were placed end to end on the ground.
go off the deep end, Informal. to act in a reckless or agitated manner; lose emotional control: She went off the deep end when she lost her job.
in the end, finally; after all: In the end they shook hands and made up.
keep / hold one's end up, to perform one's part or share adequately: The work is demanding, but he's holding his end up.
make an end of, to conclude; stop: Let's make an end of this foolishness and get down to work.
make ends meet, to live within one's means: Despite her meager income, she tried to make ends meet.: Also make both ends meet.
no end, Informal. very much or many: They were pleased no end by the warm reception.
on end,
having the end down; upright: to stand a box on end.
continuously; successively: They talked for hours on end.
put an end to, to cause to stop; terminate; finish: The advent of sound in motion pictures put an end to many a silent star's career.
Origin of end
1synonym study For end
Other words for end
Other words from end
- end·er, noun
Other definitions for end (2 of 4)
to put wheat, hay, or other grain into a stack or barn.
Origin of end
2Other definitions for end- (3 of 4)
variant of endo- before a vowel: endameba.
Other definitions for end. (4 of 4)
endorsed.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use end in a sentence
The only feature Week-end-on-Sea will have in common with other seaside places is a parade.
The weight against it is resisted both by the end-on poles that are parallel to the flow and by those set at an angle to it.
In Beaver World | Enos Abijah MillsWhen they were in a position to make for the steamer, the order was given to “back all oars and keep her end-on to the sea.”
Battles with the Sea | R.M. BallantyneThe boat must be made to cut the breakers end-on, so as to prevent her turning broadside on and being rolled back on the beach.
Battles with the Sea | R.M. BallantyneThe principle that the refrangibility of light is altered by end-on motion was enunciated by Christian Doppler of Prague in 1842.
British Dictionary definitions for end (1 of 4)
/ (ɛnd) /
the extremity of the length of something, such as a road, line, etc
the surface at either extremity of a three-dimensional object
the extreme extent, limit, or degree of something
the most distant place or time that can be imagined: the ends of the earth
the time at which something is concluded
the last section or part
(as modifier): the end office Related adjectives: final, terminal, ultimate
a share or part: his end of the bargain
(often plural) a remnant or fragment (esp in the phrase odds and ends)
a final state, esp death; destruction
the purpose of an action or existence
sport either of the two defended areas of a playing field, rink, etc
bowls curling a section of play from one side of the rink to the other
American football a player at the extremity of the playing line; wing
all ends up totally or completely
a sticky end informal, US and Canadian an unpleasant death
at a loose end or US and Canadian at loose ends without purpose or occupation
at an end exhausted or completed
at the end of the day See day (def. 10)
come to an end to become completed or exhausted
end on
with the end pointing towards one
with the end adjacent to the end of another object
go off the deep end informal to lose one's temper; react angrily
get one's end away slang to have sexual intercourse
in the end finally
keep one's end up
to sustain one's part in a joint enterprise
to hold one's own in an argument, contest, etc
make ends meet or make both ends meet to spend no more than the money one has
no end or no end of informal (intensifier): I had no end of work
on end
upright
without pause or interruption
the end informal
the worst, esp something that goes beyond the limits of endurance
mainly US the best in quality
the end of the road the point beyond which survival or continuation is impossible
throw someone in at the deep end to put someone into a new situation, job, etc, without preparation or introduction
to bring or come to a finish; conclude
to die or cause to die
(tr) to surpass; outdo: a novel to end all novels
end it all informal to commit suicide
Origin of end
1- See also end up
Derived forms of end
- ender, noun
British Dictionary definitions for end (2 of 4)
/ (ɛnd) /
(tr) British to put (hay or grain) into a barn or stack
Origin of end
2British Dictionary definitions for end- (3 of 4)
a variant of endo-
British Dictionary definitions for -end (4 of 4)
See -and
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with end
In addition to the idioms beginning with end
- end game
- end in itself
- end justifies the means, the
- end of one's rope, at the
- end of the line
- end run
- ends of the earth, the
- end to end
- end up
also see:
- all's well that ends well
- at loose ends
- at one's wit's end
- be-all and end-all
- beginning of the end
- bitter end
- burn the candle at both ends
- can't see beyond the end of one's nose
- come to an end
- dead end
- go off the deep end
- hair stand on end
- hold one's end up
- in the end
- light at the end of the tunnel
- make ends meet
- never hear the end of
- odds and ends
- on end
- on the receiving end
- play both ends against the middle
- put an end to
- rear end
- short end (of the stick)
- tail end
- wrong end of the stick
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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