Definition of 'end'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense ends
, present participle ending
, past tense, past participle ended
1. singular noun
The end of something such as a period of time, an event, a book, or a film is the last part
of it or the final point in it.
2. verb
When a situation, process, or activity ends, or when something or someone ends it, it reaches its final point and stops.
3. countable noun [usually singular]
4. verb
If you say that someone or something ends a period of time in a particular way, you are indicating what the final situation
was like. You can also say that a period of time ends in a particular way.
6. verb
If something such as a book, speech, or performance ends with a particular thing or the writer or performer ends it with that thing, its final part consists of the thing mentioned.
8. countable noun
The two ends of something long and narrow are the two points or parts of it that are furthest away from each other.
9. countable noun
10. verb
If an object ends with or in a particular thing, it has that thing on its tip or point, or as its last part.
12. countable noun
End is used to refer to either of the two extreme points of a scale, or of something
that you are considering as a scale.
The agreement has been criticised by extremist groups on both ends of the political
spectrum. [+ of]
13. countable noun
The other end is one of two places that are connected because people are communicating with each other by phone or writing, or are travelling from one place to the other.
14. countable noun [usually singular]
If you refer to a particular end of a project or piece of work, you mean a part or aspect of it, for example a part of it that is done by a particular person or in a particular
place.
[spoken]
15. countable noun
An end is the purpose for which something is done or towards which you are working.
16. verb
If you say that something ends at a particular point, you mean that it is applied or exists up to that point, and
no further.
17. countable noun [usually singular]
You can refer to someone's death as their end, especially when you are talking about the way that they died or might die.
[literary]
18. verb
19.
See to end it all
20.
See to end all
21.
See at an end
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
See in the end
28.
See an end in itself
29.
30.
31.
See no end
32.
See on end
33.
See on end
34.
35.
36.
37.
Phrasal verbs:
See end up
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
end in British English 1
noun
1.
the extremity of the length of something, such as a road, line, etc
2.
the surface at either extremity of a three-dimensional object
3.
the extreme extent, limit, or degree of something
5.
the time at which something is concluded
6.
a.
the last section or part
b.
(as modifier)
the end office
▶ Related adjectives: final, terminal, ultimate7.
a share or part
his end of the bargain
9.
a final state, esp death; destruction
10.
the purpose of an action or existence
12. bowling, curling
a section of play from one side of the rink to the other
13. American football
a player at the extremity of the playing line; wing
14. See all ends up
15. See a sticky end
16. See at a loose end
17. See at an end
18. See at the end of the day
19. See come to an end
20. See end on
21. See go off the deep end
22. See get one's end away
23. See in the end
24. See keep one's end up
25. See make ends meet
26. See no end
27. See on end
28. See the end
29. See the end of the road
30. See throw someone in at the deep end
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
ender (ˈender) noun
Word origin
Old English ende; related to Old Norse endir, Gothic andeis, Old High German endi, Latin antiae forelocks, Sanskrit antya last
Word Frequency
end- in British English
combining form
a variant of endo-
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
endo- in British English
or before a vowel end-
combining form
inside; within
endocrine
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
from Greek, from endon within
Word Frequency
-end in British English
suffix forming nouns
See -and
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
-and in British English
or -end
suffix forming nouns
indicating a person or thing that is to be dealt with in a specified way
analysand
dividend
multiplicand
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
from Latin gerundives ending in -andus, -endusWord Frequency
end in American English 1
(end)
noun
1.
the 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
2.
a point, line, or limitation that indicates the full extent, degree, etc., of something; limit; bounds
kindness without end
to walk from end to end of a city
4.
the furthermost imaginable place or point
an island at the very end of the world
6.
the concluding part
The end of her speech had to be cut short because of time
8.
the object for which a thing exists; purpose
The happiness of the people is the end of government
10.
termination of existence; death
He met a horrible end
12.
a remnant or fragment
mill end
ends and trimmings
13.
a share or part in something
He does his end of the job very well
14. Textiles
15. American Football
b.
the position played by this lineman
20.
either half of a domino
22. See at loose ends
23. See at one's wit's end
24. See end for end
25. See end on
26. See end to end
27. See go off the deep end
28. See in the end
29. See keep one's end up
30. See make an end of
31. See make ends meet
32. See no end
33. See on end
34. See put an end to
35. See the end
transitive verb
36.
to bring to an end or conclusion
We ended the discussion on a note of optimism
38.
to form the end of
This passage ends the novel
40.
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
intransitive verb
SYNONYMS 4. tip, bound, limit, terminus. 5. end, close, conclusion, finish, outcome refer to the termination of something. end implies a natural termination or completion, or an attainment of purpose: the end of a day, of a race; to some good end. close often implies a planned rounding off of something in process: the close of a conference. conclusion suggests a decision or arrangement: All evidence leads to this conclusion; the conclusion of peace terms. finish emphasizes completion of something begun: a fight to the finish. outcome suggests the issue of something that was in doubt: the outcome of a game. 7. See aim.42.
to issue or result
Extravagance ends in want
43. (often fol. by up)
to end up in the army
to end as a happy person
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
ender noun
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME, OE ende; c. OFris enda, MD e(i)nde, OS endi, OHG anti, G Ende, ON endi(r), Goth andeis end ‹ Gmc *anthjá-; akin to Skt ánta- end]Word Frequency
end in American English 2
(end)
transitive verb
Brit dialect
to put wheat, hay, or other grain into a stack or barn
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word Frequency
end. in American English
abbreviation
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word Frequency
end- in American English
combining form
var. (before a vowel) of endo-
endameba
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Examples of 'end' in a sentence
end
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Quotations
All good things must come to an end
All's well that ends well
More idioms containing
end
Trends of
end
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In other languages
end
British English: end
/ɛnd/ NOUN
The end of something is the last part of it.
He told me the end of the story.
- American English: end /ˈend/
- Arabic: نِهَايَة
- Brazilian Portuguese: fim
- Chinese: 末端
- Croatian: kraj
- Czech: konec
- Danish: slutning
- Dutch: einde
- European Spanish: fin
- Finnish: loppu
- French: fin
- German: Ende
- Greek: τέλος
- Italian: fine
- Japanese: 終わり
- Korean: 끝
- Norwegian: slutt
- Polish: koniec
- European Portuguese: fim
- Romanian: final
- Russian: конец
- Latin American Spanish: fin
- Swedish: slut
- Thai: ตอนจบ
- Turkish: son
- Ukrainian: кінець
- Vietnamese: phần kết
British English: end
/ɛnd/ VERB
When a situation or activity ends, or when something or someone ends it, it stops.
The meeting quickly ended and I left the room.
- American English: end /ˈend/
- Arabic: يَنْتَهي
- Brazilian Portuguese: terminar
- Chinese: 结束
- Croatian: završiti
- Czech: končit
- Danish: slutte
- Dutch: eindigen
- European Spanish: finalizar
- Finnish: loppua
- French: finir
- German: beenden
- Greek: τελειώνω
- Italian: terminare
- Japanese: 終わる
- Korean: 끝나다
- Norwegian: slutte
- Polish: skończyć
- European Portuguese: terminar
- Romanian: a termina
- Russian: заканчивать
- Latin American Spanish: finalizar
- Swedish: avsluta
- Thai: จบ, สิ้นสุด
- Turkish: sona erdirmek
- Ukrainian: закінчуватися
- Vietnamese: kết thúc
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