Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
subterminal

subterminal

9.9
Close to the end but not at the very tip of something
  • adjective
  • /sʌbˈtɜrmɪnəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : subterminal
  • Certain species of fish possess subterminal jaws that help them gather food from beneath the substrate.

Examples

  • The fish has a subterminal mouth, allowing it to feed effectively near the lake bottom.

  • The insect's subterminal body parts are adapted for survival in its environment, specifically positioned just below the tip.

  • Genital pore subterminal.

    Academic text (2015)

How Close

terminal
  • Specialized
20 5.7
subterminal
  • Specialized
9.9
basal
4 6.6
middle
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

subterminal positive

Morphology

subterminal = terminal (transparent) = sub + sub + terminal

The meaning is directly derived from 'sub-' (near/under) + 'terminal' (relating to an end), so 'near the end' is predictable from its parts.

Etymology

Subterminal breaks into sub- 'under' and terminal 'end', like the 'terminal' at the end of a bus line, so a subterminal part sits just below the very tip and not exactly at the end.