What is "term"

Term \Term\, n. [F. terme, L. termen, -inis, terminus, a boundary limit, end; akin to Gr. ?, ?. See Thrum a tuft, and cf. Terminus, Determine, Exterminate.]

1. That which limits the extent of anything; limit; extremity; bound; boundary.

   Corruption is a reciprocal to generation, and they two are as nature's two terms, or boundaries.
   --Bacon.

2. The time for which anything lasts; any limited time; as, a term of five years; the term of life.

3. In universities, schools, etc., a definite continuous period during which instruction is regularly given to students; as, the school year is divided into three terms.

4. (Geom.) A point, line, or superficies, that limits; as, a line is the term of a superficies, and a superficies is the term of a solid.

5. (Law) A fixed period of time; a prescribed duration; as:

   1. The limitation of an estate; or rather, the whole time for which an estate is granted, as for the term of a life or lives, or for a term of years.

   2. A space of time granted to a debtor for discharging his obligation.

   3. The time in which a court is held or is open for the trial of causes.
      --Bouvier.

      Note: In England, there were formerly four terms in the year, during which the superior courts were open: Hilary term, beginning on the 11th and ending on the 31st of January; Easter term, beginning on the 15th of April, and ending on the 8th of May; Trinity term, beginning on the 22d day of May, and ending on the 12th of June; Michaelmas term, beginning on the 2d and ending on the 25th day of November. The rest of the year was called vacation. But this division has been practically abolished by the Judicature Acts of 1873, 1875, which provide for the more convenient arrangement of the terms and vacations. In the United States, the terms to be observed by the tribunals of justice are prescribed by the statutes of Congress and of the several States.

6. (Logic) The subject or the predicate of a proposition; one of the three component parts of a syllogism, each one of which is used twice.

   The subject and predicate of a proposition are, after Aristotle, together called its terms or extremes.
   --Sir W. Hamilton.

   Note: The predicate of the conclusion is called the major term, because it is the most general, and the subject of the conclusion is called the minor term, because it is less general. These are called the extermes; and the third term, introduced as a common measure between them, is called the mean or middle term. Thus in the following syllogism, [1913 Webster] Every vegetable is combustible; Every tree is a vegetable; Therefore every tree is combustible, [1913 Webster] combustible, the predicate of the conclusion, is the major term; tree is the minor term; vegetable is the middle term.

7. A word or expression; specifically, one that has a precisely limited meaning in certain relations and uses, or is peculiar to a science, art, profession, or the like; as, a technical term. ``Terms quaint of law.''
   --Chaucer.

   In painting, the greatest beauties can not always be expressed for want of terms.
   --Dryden.

8. (Arch.) A quadrangular pillar, adorned on the top with the figure of a head, as of a man, woman, or satyr; -- called also terminal figure. See Terminus, n., 2 and 3.

   Note: The pillar part frequently tapers downward, or is narrowest at the base. Terms rudely carved were formerly used for landmarks or boundaries.
   --Gwilt.

9. (Alg.) A member of a compound quantity; as, a or b in a + b; ab or cd in ab - cd.

10. pl. (Med.) The menses.

11. pl. (Law) Propositions or promises, as in contracts, which, when assented to or accepted by another, settle the contract and bind the parties; conditions.

12. (Law) In Scotland, the time fixed for the payment of rents.

    Note: Terms legal and conventional in Scotland correspond to quarter days in England and Ireland. There are two legal terms -- Whitsunday, May 15, and Martinmas, Nov. 11; and two conventional terms -- Candlemas, Feb. 2, and Lammas day, Aug. 1.
    --Mozley & W.

13. (Naut.) A piece of carved work placed under each end of the taffrail.
    --J. Knowels.

    In term, in set terms; in formal phrase. [Obs.]

    I can not speak in term.
    --Chaucer.

    Term fee (Law) (a), a fee by the term, chargeable to a suitor, or by law fixed and taxable in the costs of a cause for each or any term it is in court.

    Terms of a proportion (Math.), the four members of which it is composed.

    To bring to terms, to compel (one) to agree, assent, or submit; to force (one) to come to terms.

    To make terms, to come to terms; to make an agreement: to agree.

    Syn: Limit; bound; boundary; condition; stipulation; word; expression.

    Usage: Term, Word. These are more frequently interchanged than almost any other vocables that occur of the language. There is, however, a difference between them which is worthy of being kept in mind. Word is generic; it denotes an utterance which represents or expresses our thoughts and feelings. Term originally denoted one of the two essential members of a proposition in logic, and hence signifies a word of specific meaning, and applicable to a definite class of objects. Thus, we may speak of a scientific or a technical term, and of stating things in distinct terms. Thus we say, ``the term minister literally denotes servant;'' ``an exact definition of terms is essential to clearness of thought;'' ``no term of reproach can sufficiently express my indignation;'' ``every art has its peculiar and distinctive terms,'' etc. So also we say, ``purity of style depends on the choice of words, and precision of style on a clear understanding of the terms used.'' Term is chiefly applied to verbs, nouns, and adjectives, these being capable of standing as terms in a logical proposition; while prepositions and conjunctions, which can never be so employed, are rarely spoken of as terms, but simply as words.

Term \Term\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Termed; p. pr. & vb. n. Terming.] [See Term, n., and cf. Terminate.] To apply a term to; to name; to call; to denominate.

Men term what is beyond the limits of the universe ``imaginary space.''
--Locke.

c.1200, terme "limit in time, set or appointed period," from Old French terme "limit of time or place, date, appointed time, duration" (11c.), from Latin terminus "end, boundary line," in Medieval Latin "expression, definition," related to termen "boundary, end" (see terminus). Old English had termen "term, end," from Latin. Sense of "period of time during which something happens" first recorded c.1300, especially of a school or law court session (mid-15c.).\n

\nThe meaning "word or phrase used in a limited or precise sense" is first recorded late 14c., from Medieval Latin use of terminus to render Greek horos "boundary," employed in mathematics and logic. Hence in terms of "in the language or phraseology peculiar to." Meaning "completion of the period of pregnancy" is from 1844. Term-paper in U.S. educational sense is recorded from 1931.

"to give a particular name to," 1550s, from term (n.). Related: Termed; terming.

n. 1 limitation, restriction or regulation. (rfex) 2 Any of the binding conditions or promises in a legal contract. 3 That which limits the extent of anything; limit; extremity; bound; boundary. 4 (context geometry English) A point, line, or superficies that limits. 5 A word or phrase, especially one from a specialised area of knowledge. 6 relation among people. vb. To phrase a certain way, especially with an unusual wording.

1. n. a word or expression used for some particular thing; "he learned many medical terms"

2. a limited period of time; "a prison term"; "he left school before the end of term"

3. (usually plural) a statement of what is required as part of an agreement; "the contract set out the conditions of the lease"; "the terms of the treaty were generous" [syn: condition]

4. any distinct quantity contained in a polynomial; "the general term of an algebraic equation of the n-th degree"

5. one of the substantive phrases in a logical proposition; "the major term of a syllogism must occur twice"

6. the end of gestation or point at which birth is imminent; "a healthy baby born at full term" [syn: full term]

7. (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 [syn: terminus, terminal figure]

v. name formally or designate with a term

Term may refer to:

• Term (language) or terminology, a noun or compound word used in a specific context: meaning. See also the Index of linguistics articles
• Term (time) a fixed period of time
• Term (computers) or terminal emulator, a program that emulates a video terminal
• Term (architecture) or terminal form, a human head and bust that continues as a square tapering pillar-like form
• Term, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran
• Payment (or credit) terms, a part of an invoice; when you'll have to pay and what discount you'll get by paying early. Like "2/10 net 30".
• Technical term, part of the specialized vocabulary of a particular field
• Scientific terminology, terms used by scientists
• Contractual term, a legally binding provision
• Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring, the vigilance and monitoring wing of the Indian Department of Telecommunications

In Classical architecture a term or terminal figure (plural: terms or termini) is a human head and bust that continues as a square tapering pillar-like form.

The name derives from Terminus, the Roman god of boundaries and boundary markers. If the bust is of Hermes as protector of boundaries in ancient Greek culture, with male genitals interrupting the plain base at the appropriate height, it may be called a herma or herm. The crime of Alcibiades and his drinking-mates, for which Socrates eventually indirectly paid with his life, was the desecration of herm figures through Athens in the dead of night.

At the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Lady of Ephesus, whom the Greeks identified with Artemis, was a many-breasted goddess encased in a tapering term, from which her feet protruded. (See illustration at Temple of Artemis).

In the architecture and the painted architectural decoration of the European Renaissance and the succeeding Classical styles, term figures are quite common. Often they represent minor deities associated with fields and vineyards and the edges of woodland, Pan and fauns and Bacchantes especially, and they may be draped with garlands of fruit and flowers.

Term figures were a particularly characteristic feature of the 16th-century style in furniture and carved interior decoration that is called Antwerp Mannerism. Engravings disseminated the style through Germany and England.

Term figures as table supports or employed as candlestands (French guéridon) were characteristic of the Late Baroque Louis XIV style in France, the Low Countries and England, revived in the neo-Palladian furniture designed by William Kent and employed again in the French Empire style of the early 19th century.

In argumentation theory, a term is that part of a statement in an argument which refers to a specific thing. Usually, but not always expressed as a noun, one of the requirements to informally prove a conclusion with a deductive argument is for all its terms to be used unambiguously. The ambiguous use of a term in a deductive argument may be an instance of the fallacy of four terms.

Category:Critical thinking Category:Concepts in logic

In analogy to natural language, where a noun phrase refers to an object and a whole sentence refers to a fact, in mathematical logic, a term denotes a mathematical object and a formula denotes a mathematical fact. In particular, terms appear as components of a formula.

A first-order term is recursively constructed from constant symbols, variables and function symbols. An expression formed by applying a predicate symbol to an appropriate number of terms is called an atomic formula, which evaluates to true or false in bivalent logics, given an interpretation. For example, is a term built from the constant 1, the variable , and the binary function symbols and ; it is part of the atomic formula which evaluates to true for each real-numbered value of .

Besides in logic, terms play important roles in universal algebra, and rewriting systems.

A term is a period of duration, time or occurrence, in relation to an event. To differentiate an interval or duration, common phrases are used to distinguish the observance of length are near-term or short-term, medium-term or mid-term and long-term.

It is also used as part of a calendar year, especially one of the three parts of an academic term and working year in the United Kingdom: Michaelmas term, Hilary term / Lent term or Trinity term / Easter term, the equivalent to the American semester. In America there is a midterm election held in the middle of the four-year presidential term, there are also academic midterm exams.

In economics, it is the period required for economic agents to reallocate resources, and generally reestablish equilibrium. The actual length of this period, usually numbered in years or decades, varies widely depending on circumstantial context. During the long term, all factors are variable.

In finance or financial operations of borrowing and investing, what is considered long-term is usually above 3 years, with medium-term usually between 1 and 3 years and short-term usually under 1 year. It is also used in some countries to indicate a fixed term investment such as a term deposit.

In law, the term of a contract is the duration for which it is to remain in effect (not to be confused with the meaning of "term" that denotes any provision of a contract). A fixed-term contract is one concluded for a pre-defined time.