Terminator

terminator

(1) A character that ends a string of alphanumeric characters.

(2) A hardware component that is connected to the last peripheral device in a series or the last node in a network.

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terminator [′tər·mə‚nād·ər]

(astronomy)

The line of demarcation between the dark and light portions of the moon or planets.

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(electronics)

terminator - A resistor connected to a signal wire in a bus or network for the purpose of impedance matching to prevent reflections. For example, a 50 ohm resistor connected across the end of an Ethernet cable. SCSI chains and some LocalTalk wiring schemes also require terminators.

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Terminator 

the line on the disk of a planet or satellite that separates the illuminated, or day, hemisphere from the dark, or night, hemisphere.

The morning terminator is the sunrise line of a planet or satellite; the evening terminator is the sunset line. The terminator appears as a semiellipse on the disk of a celestial body, such as the moon, that is visible from the earth, and the motion of the terminator across the disk is responsible for changes of phase. If a planet has an atmosphere, the terminator is shifted somewhat toward the night hemisphere as a result of refraction and twilight.