end

Word family  noun end ending adjective unending endless verb end adverb endlessly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Death

end1 /end/ ●●● S1 W1 noun  1  last part 最后部分 [singular]PART the last part of a period of time, event, activity, or story 最后部分；末尾 OPP beginning, startend of Costs are expected to double by the end of 2012. 预计到2017年底成本将翻倍。at the end What would she find at the end of her journey? 她在旅程结束时会有些什么发现？ Hooker’s death marked the end of an era. 胡克的逝世标志着一个时代的终结。 I played the tape from beginning to end. 我把磁带从头到尾播放了一遍。2  finished 结束 [singular]FINISH/COME TO AN END a situation in which something is finished or no longer exists 结束；结局；完结put/bring an end to something It’s hoped the talks may bring an end to the violence. 希望会谈可以结束暴力。call for/demand an end to something The EU is demanding an end to the ivory trade. 欧盟要求停止象牙贸易。 At last it seemed the war might be coming to an end. 终于战争似乎即将结束。 The spacecraft is nearing the end of its useful life. 该航天器的使用寿命快要终结。be at an end He rose to indicate that the conversation was at an end. 他站起身，示意谈话结束。 Well, I hope that’s the end of the matter. 好啦，我希望事情就到此为止。 Another year has passed, with no end in sight to the suffering. 又过了一年，痛苦还是看不到尽头。3  furthest part 最远的部分 [countable]END/POINT the part of a place or object that is furthest from its beginning or centre 尽头；末端end of We sat at opposite ends of the table. 我们分别坐在桌子两头。 He wore spectacles perched on the very end of his nose. 他的眼镜架在鼻尖上。 The end of the pencil snapped. 铅笔的笔尖啪的一声断了。 Jo joined the end of the line. 乔排到了队尾。 the far end (=furthest from you) of the room 房间的另一头 The channel measures 20 feet from end to end. 这条管道全长为20英尺。stand/place something on end (=in an upright position) 把某物竖起来 He stood the box on end to open it. 他把箱子竖起来好打开。lay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching) 首尾相接地放置某物 bricks laid end to end 首尾连接铺成一行的砖头4  scale 范围 [countable usually singular] one of the two points that begin or end a scale 端点，限度lower/cheaper etc end the cheaper end of the price range 价格范围内的最低点 At the opposite end of the political spectrum are the Marxist theories. 在政治领域与之截然相反的是马克思主义理论。 Some teenagers are just a nuisance, but at the other end of the scale there are kids who pose a real threat. 有些少年只不过是讨人嫌，而有些孩子则相反，他们根本就是个威胁。5  connection 连接 [countable usually singular] one of two places that are connected by a telephone call, journey etc 〔电话、旅程等的〕端点，终点the end of the phone/line 乔排到了队尾。 Sometimes, all you need is a calm voice on the end of the phone. 有时候你只需要电话另一端有一个平静的声音和你说说话。 We’ll get a bus connection at the other end. 我们到了那边终点站会转乘公共汽车的。 Any problems at your end (=where you are)? 你那边有什么问题吗？6  remaining piece 剩余物 [countable] especially British English a small piece of something that is left after you have finished with it 残余，残片 cigarette ends 烟蒂7  aim 目的 [usually plural]PURPOSE an aim or purpose, or the result you hope to achieve 目的，目标political/military etc ends 40% of all research is undertaken for military ends. 正在进行的所有研究项目中，40%用于军事目的。 She’ll do anything to achieve her own ends. 她为了实现自己的目标，什么都会去做。 Every task has a clear end in view. 每一项任务都要有明确的目标。to that end formal He wants to cut costs, and to that end is looking at ways of cutting the company’s operations. 他想降低成本，并在为此设法削减公司的经营项目。an end in itself (=something you do because you want to, not in order to get other advantages) 自发想做的事情，本身就是目的 IT is a tool for learning, not merely an end in itself. 信息技术本身不是目的，而是一种学习工具。the end justifies the means (=used to say that doing bad things is acceptable if they achieve an important result) 只要能达到目的，可以不择手段8  part of an activity 活动的一部分 [singular] informalPART part of a job, activity, or situation that involves or affects one person or group of people 〔工作、活动、处境的〕部分，方面 She works in the sales end of things. 她做销售方面的工作。9. sport 体育 [countable]DS one of the two halves of a sports field 半边球场，半场10  death 死亡 [countable usually singular]MX a word meaning death – used to avoid saying this directly 生命的尽头 〔死亡的委婉说法〕 He met his end (=died) in a car accident. 他在一次车祸中丧生。11  at the end of the day spokenBASIC used to give your final opinion after considering all the possibilities 最终；到头来；不管怎么说 At the end of the day, it’s his decision. 不管怎么说，这是他的决定。12  for days/weeks etc on end CONTINUOUSfor many days, weeks etc without stopping 连续数天/数周等 He was tortured for days on end. 他连续好几天饱受煎熬。13  in the end EVENTUALLYafter a period of time, or after everything has been done 后来；终于 What did you decide in the end? 最终你作了什么决定？14  end of (story) spoken informal used to mean that you will not say any more about something, or that the situation cannot be changed 情况就是这样；就这么办〔用于表示不想再说某事，或情况无法改变〕 I’m not going – end of story. 我不去，就这样。15  the end of your tether/rope the point at which you are so angry and tired of a situation that you can no longer deal with it 忍无可忍；无能为力 Frustrated and bitter, Hogan had reached the end of his tether with politics. 霍根遭受了挫折和痛苦，在政治上已经走到了穷途末路。16  the end of the road/line FINISH/COME TO AN ENDthe end of a process, activity, or state ...的尽头；活动[状态]的结束 Our marriage had reached the end of the line. 我们的婚姻走到了尽头。17  make ends meet SURVIVEto have only just enough money to buy the things you need 使收支仅能相抵 When Mike lost his job, we could barely make ends meet. 迈克失业以后，我们几乎难以维持生计。18. it’s not the end of the world spokenSERIOUS SITUATION used to tell someone that a problem is not as bad as they think 还未到世界末日〔用于告诉某人事情并不那么可怕〕19. hold/keep your end up British English informalBRAVE to stay brave and hopeful in a difficult situation 〔在困境中〕坚持，不泄气20  no end spoken informalLOT/VERY MUCH very much 非常 Your letter cheered me up no end. 你的来信让我非常高兴。21  no end of trouble/problems etc spoken informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a lot of trouble etc 许多麻烦/问题等 This will cause no end of trouble. 这会引起无穷无尽的麻烦。22  the living end American English spokenAPPROVEDISAPPROVE used as an expression of slight disapproval – often used humorously 混蛋〔常为幽默用法〕 What will she do next? She’s the living end! 她下一步要干什么？ 她这混蛋！23  go to the ends of the earth literary to do everything possible to achieve something 竭尽所能 I’d go to the ends of the earth to be with him. 哪怕走到天涯海角，我也要和他在一起。24. to the end of time literary forever 永远 → dead end, odds and ends, → be-all and end all at be2(15), → to the bitter end at bitter1(6), → burn the candle at both ends at burn1(19), → jump/be thrown in at the deep end at deep1(17), → go off at the deep end at deep1(18), → be at a loose end at loose1(14), → make somebody’s hair stand on end at hair(8), → be on/at the receiving end (of something) at receive(5), → be on the sharp end of at sharp1(19), → come to a sticky end at sticky(6), → the tail end of something at tail1(6), → at your wits’ end at wit(7), → get the wrong end of the stick at wrong1(16)n GRAMMAR: Prepositions with end• You use at the end when talking about the last part of a story, book, film, game etc: At the end, the hero dies. There is a summary at the end of the chapter. • You often use at the end of when talking about the last part of a period of time: Marco Polo travelled through Asia at the end of the 13th century. ✗Don’t say: in the end of the 13th century• In the end means the same as ‘eventually’. You use it when saying that something happens or after a long period of time or a lot of other things have happened: In the end, she got her money back.I’m sure we’ll win in the end. n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the last part of a period of time, event, activity, or storyphrasesthe end of the day/week/month etcKaren’s returning to the States at the end of the month.the end of March/July/December etcMy licence runs out at the end of May.the end of the warThe two men met once again before the end of the war.be/mark the end of an era (=be the end of a period of time in history that is known for a particular event, or for particular qualities)The principal’s death marked the end of an era at the college.from beginning to endMichael Jordon led the race from beginning to end. THESAURUS – Meaning 3: the part of a place or object that is furthest from its beginning or centre 尽头；末端end the part of a place or object that is furthest from the centre or the beginning 尽头；末端nthe end of the tablenthe end of the street ntip the end of something, especially something pointedthe tip of your nosean arrow tipnpoint the sharp end of somethingThe point of the pencil broke.n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a situation in which something is finished or no longer existsverbscome to an end (=end)Arsenal’s ten-match unbeaten run came to an end with a 3–2 defeat at United.draw to an end (=to reach the end)My holiday was drawing to an end.get to/reach the end of somethingThe 40 year-old power station has now reached the end of its operating life.put an end to something (=make something end)A shoulder injury put an end to his baseball career.bring an end to something/bring something to an end (=make something end)They began peace talks aimed at bringing an end to the civil war.call for/demand an end to something (=publicly ask for something to happen or be done)The union is calling for an end to discrimination.adjectivesa sudden/abrupt end (=sudden and unexpected)After the news leaked out, his political career came to a sudden end.an early endHopes of an early end to the conflict are fading.a fitting end to something (=right for a particular situation or occasion)The fireworks display was a fitting end to the celebrations.phrasesthe end of the matterIf you think that’s the end of the matter, you’re mistaken.the end is in sight (=near)After a three year wait, the end is finally in sight.n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: the part of a place or object that is furthest from its beginning or centreadjectivesthe opposite/other end (of something)Jon and his girlfriend were sitting at the opposite end of the bar.the far end (of something) (=furthest from you)He walked to the far end of the room and sat at his desk.deep/shallow end (=used about the ends of a swimming pool where the water is deepest or least deep)The kids were splashing about in the shallow end.phraseslay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching)The roof tiles are laid end to end.n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 8: part of a job, activity, or situation that involves or affects one person or group of peopleadjectivespolitical/military financial etc endsThe government exploited the situation for political ends.verbsachieve your own ends (=to get what you want, used to show disapproval)Some people would do almost anything to achieve their own ends.phrasesto that end (=with that aim or purpose)Our first priority is safety, and the airline is working to that end.an end in itself (=the thing that you want to achieve)The programme is not an end in itself, but rather the first step the prisoner takes towards a new life.the end justifies the means (=used to say that something bad is acceptable, if it achieves a good result)Their defence, that the end justifies the means, is not acceptable.a means to an end (=a way of achieving what you want)To Joe, work was a means to an end, nothing more.with this end in view (=with this thing in mind as an aim)We need to reduce costs, so with this end in view, the company is switching supplier.

Examples from the Corpus

end• Community activists are calling for an end to selling cigarettes to children.• There are scoreboards at both ends of the stadium.• I don't like to swim in the deep end of the pool.• The demonstrators' ends do not justify their means.• A boy was carrying a stick across his shoulders with a pail of water at each end.• We sat in silence at either end of a long wooden table.• Prices range from $ 36 at the Sierra Club Lodge to $ 300-plus at the luxury end.• Their house is located on the north end of the lake.• You need a long pole with a hook at one end.• Mrs Deacon sat at one end of the long table and I sat at the other.• Racial tensions in Fiji were exaggerated for political ends by leaders of the opposition.• She works in the sales end of the company.• I liked the story, except when the hero dies at the end.• James was with his father at the end.• Rob's moving to Maine at the end of September.• We had five different shapes on the board by the end of the lesson.• By the end of the half, Oregon has opened a ten-point lead.• She chewed the end of her pencil thoughtfully.• He cut a thick slice from the end of the loaf.• I don't know what it will be, but I shall find a way to help her in the end.• We had a huge row, which marked the end of our friendship.• Near the end of his life Ramsey was asked which of his books he was most glad to have written.• Kauffman suggests that the end of the Cold War prompted Buchanan to re-examine his political values.• The doctor closes the folder when be gets to the end, and puts Ins glasses back in his pocket.• We were told to go to the end of the line.• Go to the end of the street and turn left.• Martha lovingly supported him to the end, friend and housekeeper for 25 years.• Let's hope they keep their end of the bargain.at the end• At the end of the first half, the score was 2-0.• You may remember that Ted was a little abrupt at the end of the meeting.• But there will be no arms destruction at the end of that time.• As an epilogue at the end of the film explains, Letterman was No. 1 in late night for 90 weeks.• The Clinton administration was more than ready for Washington's stage-managed millennial feelgood fest at the end of impeachment year.• He managed to catch a brief glimpse of him talking to a man at the end of the platform.• If you have any questions, can you ask them at the end, please.• The pot of gold was at the end of every two-bit dive with a stage, and they played them all.• My wife left me without a word at the end of March, leaving only a Dear John letter on the table.put/bring an end to something• I can put an end to myself in it.• He put an end to idol worship in his diocese.• The coming of the railways and their ally, the telegraph system, put an end to this situation.• So that put an end to that ... no more dances down at Cotherstone for me.• She was chosen to put an end to violence in Oakland.• We believe it will take more than just gentle persuasion to bring an end to over-specification and waste.opposite ends• Usually these styles are presented as opposite ends of a continuum.• One way to look at Cleveland is to say it is at opposite ends of the political spectrum with San Francisco.• For a long time now your granda and me have been living at opposite ends of this flat.• Run it into two uplifts at opposite ends of the tank, and pack it with filter floss and carbon.• Place both bags on a table with the straws extending from opposite ends.• Lonnie and Alfred occupied opposite ends of the spectrum.• A history held in the mind rather than in the genes splits them to the opposite ends of the earth.• Those who are holding the strings then go to opposite ends of the room and hold the strings taut.lower/cheaper etc end• The street was one of those which led into the souk and its lower end was completely blocked by stalls.• Especially at its lower end of the pay scale, the job world does not reward people adequately.• Only the flagship 50 configurations use the 7100; the lower end boxes in each class using previous incarnations of the chip.• There were a few clubs at the lower end of the street, but it was mostly owned by monolithic movie companies.• Traditionally, students like these struggle at the lower end of the education ladder.• At the lower end of the market much has also happened.• On the lower end of the job market, the most popular employer, certainly for girls, was Lyons.• What we hear as squeaking is only the lower end of a sonic signal mostly beyond the range of our human ears.the end of the phone/line• She places the end of her paper cylinder at the end of the line of powder.• Cast Your Line Before you take your place at the end of the line, here's a little tip.• The truth was somewhere at the end of the line and the first facts were a kind of starting point.• The sale marks the end of the line for the 61-year-old chain, which has had a rocky recent history.• Both boys kept their eyes on the end of the line.• When the tone stopped you had reached the end of the line - and that indicated the ferret's position.• Disappointed, I dragged myself to the end of the line.• For river people all along the Missouri and Mississippi valleys, Fort Benton was the end of the line.political/military etc ends• For this Act deliberately sought to use the courts and the judges to achieve political ends.• Often, in fact, Gandhi was more interested in improving the human means than in attaining political ends.• The Blairs insist the new arrival will not be exploited for political ends.• Before his release he was made to sign a written undertaking that he would not use religious groups for political ends.• What dubious manipulation of the system would they use for their own political ends?• Another confirmation of the transformation of the press was its proneness for take-over for financial rather than political ends.• The prevalence of conflict in Gascony during this period reflects the vulnerability of minors to the political ends of their elders.• Purely private defamation has little to do with the political ends of a self-governing society.met ... end• Balbinder had to be seen on to it, and met at the end of the day.• The last band met its end in 1906, in the Chiricahuas.• In that position Buddha met his end.• Affectionately, the documentary gives due to what gay visibility there was, even if gay characters met tragic ends.• A very nice young woman arrived in a taxi, which Geoffrey met at the end of the school drive.• No officer convicted of plotting against him met his end at the hands of the firing squad.• Find out why men and women became pirates, where they operated and how they met their end.• They met towards the end of January, and he kept the news from Theo until April.end2 ●●● S1 W1 verb  1  a) [intransitive]STOP HAPPENING if an event, activity, or story ends, it stops happening 结束，停止 OPP start, begin World War II ended in 1945. 第二次世界大战于1945年结束。end with The festival will end with a spectacular laser show. 节庆活动将以壮观的激光表演结束。 b) [transitive]STOP HAPPENING to make something stop happening 使结束，使停止 OPP start, begin The talks are aimed at ending the conflict. 谈判旨在结束冲突。2  [intransitive] to finish what you are doing 结束(所做的事) OPP start, begin I think we'll end there for today. 我看我们今天就到这儿吧。end by doing something I’d like to end by inviting questions from the audience. 我最后想请观众提问。3  [intransitive] if a road, path, line etc ends, it reaches its final point 〔道路、线条等〕结束，到头 OPP start, begin This is where the line ends. 这条线就到此为止。4  [transitive] to reach the final point in a period of time in a particular condition 〔以某种状态〕到〔一段时间〕的终点 OPP start, begin They ended the game with a score of 63-42. 他们以63比42结束了比赛。 The company ended the year with record profits. 到年底时公司获得了创纪录的收益。5  end your days to spend the last part of your life in a particular place or doing a particular thing 〔在某处或做某事〕度过余生 He ended his days in prison. 他在监狱里度过了余生。6. end your life/end it all KILLto kill yourself 自杀7  the ... to end all ... used to describe something that is the best, most important, or most exciting of its kind 最佳的…；最重要的…；最激动人心的… the movie with the car chase to end all car chases 有极其刺激的汽车追逐场面的影片8  the year/week etc ending something used to refer to the year etc that ends on a particular date 到某一天为止的那一年/那一周等 the financial results for the year ending 31 Dec 2008 截至2008年12月31日的年度财务报告9 end in something phrasal verb a) EVENTUALLYto finish in a particular way 以…结束[告终] One in three marriages ends in divorce. 三分之一的婚姻以离婚告终。b) it’ll (all) end in tears British English spoken used to say that something will have a bad result or not be successful 结局悲惨[糟糕]10 end up phrasal verb EVENTUALLYto be in a particular situation, state, or place after a series of events, especially when you did not plan it 〔尤指经历一系列意外后〕最终处于，到头来 He came round for a coffee and we ended up having a meal together. 他是来喝咖啡的，到后来我们却一起吃了顿饭。 I wondered where the pictures would end up after the auction. 我想知道那些画拍卖后的最终去处。end up doing something Most slimmers end up putting weight back on. 大多数减肥的人最后又发胖了。 with Anyone who swims in the river could end up with a nasty stomach upset. 在河里游泳的人可能会出现严重的肠胃不适。 as He could end up as president. 他没准儿哪天会当上总统。 like I don’t want to end up like my parents. 我可不想到最后和我父母一样。n GrammarEnd belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object. • You can say: We will end the session with questions. In this sentence, ‘the session’ is the object of end.• You can say: The session will end with questions. In this sentence, ‘the session’ is the subject of end. THESAURUSend if a event, activity, or story ends, it stops happening 〔事件、活动或故事〕结束，停止How does the story end? 故事的结局是怎样的？The school year ends in June. 学年于6月结束。finish to end – use this about an organized event such as a meeting, party, or lesson, especially when saying what time it ends 〔会议、聚会或课程等有组织的活动在某时间〕结束The meeting will finish at 5.30. 会议将于5点半结束。What time does your Spanish class finish? 你的西班牙语课几点结束？be over if an event, activity, or period of time is over, it has ended 〔事情、活动或一段时间〕完结，结束I can’t wait for our exams to be over. 我迫不及待地希望考试快点结束。The long summer vacation was almost over. 漫长的暑假就快结束了。come to an end to finally end – used about a period of time, a situation, or an activity that has continued for a long time 〔持续很久的一段时间、某状况或活动〕结束，终止The war finally came to an end six years later. 六年后战争终于结束。draw to an end/to a close written to end gradually over a period of time – used in written descriptions 即将结束These problems still remained as the twentieth century drew to an end. 本世纪渐近尾声，这个问题依然存在。time is up if time is up, you are not allowed any more time to do something 时间到了I wasn’t able to finish the test before the time was up. 我还没来得及做完测验题目，时间就到了。time runs out if time runs out, there is no more time available to do something, especially something important 时间耗尽了〔尤指没时间做重要事情〕The desperate search for survivors continues, but time is running out. 不惜一切搜寻幸存者的工作仍在继续，但是时间所剩无几。expire formal if a ticket, bank card, legal document etc expires, the period of time during which you can use it has ended 〔票、银行卡、法律文件等〕失效，到期I’m afraid we can’t accept this credit card – it expired last week. 恐怕我们不能接受这张信用卡——它上星期到期了。be at an end if something is at an end, it has ended 完结，结束We both knew that our marriage was at an end. 我俩都知道我们的婚姻走到了尽头。The long wait was at an end. 漫长的等待结束了。 → See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

end• How does the story end?• The affair ended after it was made public by the newspapers.• Winter was finally ending, and the first flowers of spring had begun to appear.• A knee injury ended Brotherton's basketball season.• The evening ended cordially with handshakes all round.• Their marriage finally ended in divorce three years later.• The school year ends in June.• A high proportion of trials which begin will end in settlement rather than judgment.• Our relationship just isn't working. I've decided to end it.• The conference ends on Saturday.• As the drought intensified, Mulholland begged the city fathers to end their abject deification of growth.• Janet's party didn't end until 4 o'clock in the morning.• But the problem with this approach is that it ends up becoming an end in itself.• Nevertheless Murphy should end up comfortably a millionaire once the earn-out is complete next year.• Sadly, these dedicated servants end up standing in the blazing sun, a routine broken only by the occasional soaking rainstorm.• How did these two offenders end up together?• Chasing and racing is fun for a time but you end up yearning for something different.From Longman Business Dictionaryendend /end/ noun1STATISTICSMARKETING top/bottom end a figure that is at the top or bottom end of a range is high or low in the range of possible figures that were expectedThe results were at the top end of previous market forecasts.2MARKETING top/expensive/bottom/cheap end a product that is at the top or bottom end of a range is the most expensive or cheapest in the rangeIt won’t be easy competing at the top end of the market.Bombay dealers are the main suppliers of the cheap end of the US diamond jewelry market. → see also front end, high endOrigin end1 Old English ende

end1 noun →10-24
→n GRAMMAR1 →n COLLOCATIONS1 →n COLLOCATIONS2 →n COLLOCATIONS3
→n COLLOCATIONS4 →THESAURUS1end2 verb →n GRAMMAR1 →THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChinese  

of the Business period activity, last Corpus time, part a event, of

end

I

end¹ S1 W1 /end/ noun1.  LAST PART  [singular] the last part of a period of time, event, activity, or story
   OPP  beginning, start
    end of
    Costs are expected to double by the end of 2012.
    at the end
    What would she find at the end of her journey?
    Hooker’s death marked the end of an era.
    I played the tape from beginning to end.
2.  FINISHED  [singular] a situation in which something is finished or no longer exists
    put/bring an end to something
    It’s hoped the talks may bring an end to the violence.
    call for/demand an end to something
    The EU is demanding an end to the ivory trade.
    At last it seemed the war might be coming to an end.
    The spacecraft is nearing the end of its useful life.
    be at an end
    He rose to indicate that the conversation was at an end.
    Well, I hope that’s the end of the matter.
    Another year has passed, with no end in sight to the suffering.
3.  FURTHEST PART  [countable] the part of a place or object that is furthest from its beginning or centre
    end of
    We sat at opposite ends of the table.
    He wore spectacles perched on the very end of his nose.
    The end of the pencil snapped.
    Jo joined the end of the line.
    the far end (=furthest from you) of the room
    The channel measures 20 feet from end to end.
    stand/place something on end (=in an upright position)
    He stood the box on end to open it.
    lay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching)
    bricks laid end to end
4.  SCALE  [countable usually singular] one of the two points that begin or end a scale
    lower/cheaper etc end
    the cheaper end of the price range
    At the opposite end of the political spectrum are the Marxist theories.
    Some teenagers are just a nuisance, but at the other end of the scale there are kids who pose a real threat.
5.  CONNECTION  [countable usually singular] one of two places that are connected by a telephone call, journey etc
    the end of the phone/line
    Sometimes, all you need is a calm voice on the end of the phone.
    We’ll get a bus connection at the other end.
    Any problems at your end (=where you are)?
6.  REMAINING PIECE  [countable] especially British English a small piece of something that is left after you have finished with it:
    cigarette ends
7.  AIM  [usually plural] an aim or purpose, or the result you hope to achieve
    political/military etc ends
    40% of all research is undertaken for military ends.
    She’ll do anything to achieve her own ends.
    Every task has a clear end in view.
    to that end formal:
    He wants to cut costs, and to that end is looking at ways of cutting the company’s operations.
    an end in itself (=something you do because you want to, not in order to get other advantages)
    IT is a tool for learning, not merely an end in itself.
    the end justifies the means (=used to say that doing bad things is acceptable if they achieve an important result)
8.  PART OF AN ACTIVITY  [singular] informal part of a job, activity, or situation that involves or affects one person or group of people:
    She works in the sales end of things.
9.  SPORT  [countable] one of the two halves of a sports field
10.  DEATH  [countable usually singular] a word meaning death – used to avoid saying this directly:
    He met his end (=died) in a car accident.
11. at the end of the day spoken used to give your final opinion after considering all the possibilities:
    At the end of the day, it’s his decision.
12. for days/weeks etc on end for many days, weeks etc without stopping:
    He was tortured for days on end.
13. in the end after a period of time, or after everything has been done:
    What did you decide in the end?
14. end of (story) spoken informal used to mean that you will not say any more about something, or that the situation cannot be changed:
    I’m not going – end of story.
15. the end of your tether/rope the point at which you are so angry and tired of a situation that you can no longer deal with it:
    Frustrated and bitter, Hogan had reached the end of his tether with politics.
16. the end of the road/line the end of a process, activity, or state:
    Our marriage had reached the end of the line.
17. make ends meet to have only just enough money to buy the things you need:
    When Mike lost his job, we could barely make ends meet.
18. it’s not the end of the world spoken used to tell someone that a problem is not as bad as they think
19. hold/keep your end up British English informal to stay brave and hopeful in a difficult situation
20. no end spoken informal very much:
    Your letter cheered me up no end.
21. no end of trouble/problems etc spoken informal a lot of trouble etc:
    This will cause no end of trouble.
22. the living end American English spoken used as an expression of slight disapproval – often used humorously:
    What will she do next? She’s the living end__
23. go to the ends of the earth literary to do everything possible to achieve something:
    I’d go to the ends of the earth to be with him.
24. to the end of time literary forever
⇨ dead end, odds and ends, ⇨ be-all and end all at be²(15), ⇨ to the bitter end at bitter¹(6), ⇨ burn the candle at both ends at burn¹(19), ⇨ jump/be thrown in at the deep end at deep¹(17), ⇨ go off at the deep end at deep¹(18), ⇨ be at a loose end at loose¹(14), ⇨ make sb’s hair stand on end at hair(8), ⇨ be on/at the receiving end (of something) at receive(5), ⇨ be on the sharp end of at sharp¹(19), ⇨ come to a sticky end at sticky(6), ⇨ the tail end of something at tail¹(6), ⇨ at your wits’ end at wit(7), ⇨ get the wrong end of the stick at wrong¹(15)
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 1)

■ phrases
   ▪ the end of the day/week/month etc Karen’s returning to the States at the end of the month.
   ▪ the end of March/July/December etc My licence runs out at the end of May.
   ▪ the end of the war The two men met once again before the end of the war.
   ▪ be/mark the end of an era (=be the end of a period of time in history that is known for a particular event, or for particular qualities) The principal’s death marked the end of an era at the college.
   ▪ from beginning to end Michael Jordon led the race from beginning to end.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ verbs
   ▪ come to an end (=end) Arsenal’s ten-match unbeaten run came to an end with a 3–2 defeat at United.
   ▪ draw to an end (=to reach the end) My holiday was drawing to an end.
   ▪ get to/reach the end of something The 40 year-old power station has now reached the end of its operating life.
   ▪ put an end to something (=make something end) A shoulder injury put an end to his baseball career.
   ▪ bring an end to something/bring something to an end (=make something end) They began peace talks aimed at bringing an end to the civil war.
   ▪ call for/demand an end to something (=publicly ask for something to happen or be done) The union is calling for an end to discrimination.
■ adjectives
   ▪ a sudden/abrupt end (=sudden and unexpected) After the news leaked out, his political career came to a sudden end.
   ▪ an early end Hopes of an early end to the conflict are fading.
   ▪ a fitting end to something (=right for a particular situation or occasion) The fireworks display was a fitting end to the celebrations.
■ phrases
   ▪ the end of the matter If you think that’s the end of the matter, you’re mistaken.
   ▪ the end is in sight (=near) After a three year wait, the end is finally in sight.
     

THESAURUS

(for Meaning 3)

   ▪ end the part of a place or object that is furthest from the centre or the beginning: the end of the table | the end of the street
   ▪ tip the end of something, especially something pointed: the tip of your nose | an arrow tip
   ▪ point the sharp end of something: The point of the pencil broke.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ adjectives
   ▪ the opposite/other end (of something) Jon and his girlfriend were sitting at the opposite end of the bar.
   ▪ the far end (of something) (=furthest from you) He walked to the far end of the room and sat at his desk.
   ▪ deep/shallow end (=used about the ends of a swimming pool where the water is deepest or least deep) The kids were splashing about in the shallow end.
■ phrases
   ▪ lay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching) The roof tiles are laid end to end.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 8)

■ adjectives
   ▪ political/military financial etc ends The government exploited the situation for political ends.
■ verbs
   ▪ achieve your own ends (=to get what you want, used to show disapproval) Some people would do almost anything to achieve their own ends.
■ phrases
   ▪ to that end (=with that aim or purpose) Our first priority is safety, and the airline is working to that end.
   ▪ an end in itself (=the thing that you want to achieve) The programme is not an end in itself, but rather the first step the prisoner takes towards a new life.
   ▪ the end justifies the means (=used to say that something bad is acceptable, if it achieves a good result) Their defence, that the end justifies the means, is not acceptable.
   ▪ a means to an end (=a way of achieving what you want) To Joe, work was a means to an end, nothing more.
   ▪ with this end in view (=with this thing in mind as an aim) We need to reduce costs, so with this end in view, the company is switching supplier.

II

end² S1 W1 verb1.
  a. [intransitive] if an event, activity, or story ends, it stops happening
   OPP  start, begin:
    World War II ended in 1945.
    end with
    The festival will end with a spectacular laser show.
  b. [transitive] to make something stop happening
   OPP  start, begin:
    The talks are aimed at ending the conflict.
2. [intransitive] to finish what you are doing
   OPP  start, begin:
    I think we'll end there for today.
    end by doing something
    I’d like to end by inviting questions from the audience.
3. [intransitive] if a road, path, line etc ends, it reaches its final point
   OPP  start, begin:
    This is where the line ends.
4. [transitive] to reach the final point in a period of time in a particular condition
   OPP  start, begin:
    They ended the game with a score of 63-42.
    The company ended the year with record profits.
5. end your days to spend the last part of your life in a particular place or doing a particular thing:
    He ended his days in prison.
6. end your life/end it all to kill yourself
7. the ... to end all ... used to describe something that is the best, most important, or most exciting of its kind:
    the movie with the car chase to end all car chases
8. the year/week etc ending something used to refer to the year etc that ends on a particular date:
    the financial results for the year ending 31 Dec 2008
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ end if a event, activity, or story ends, it stops happening: How does the story end? | The school year ends in June.
   ▪ finish to end - use this about an organized event such as a meeting, party, or lesson, especially when saying what time it ends: The meeting will finish at 5.30. | What time does your Spanish class finish?
   ▪ be over if an event, activity, or period of time is over, it has ended: I can’t wait for our exams to be over. | The long summer vacation was almost over.
   ▪ come to an end to finally end – used about a period of time, a situation, or an activity that has continued for a long time: The war finally came to an end six years later.
   ▪ draw to an end/to a close written to end gradually over a period of time – used in written descriptions: These problems still remained as the twentieth century drew to an end.
   ▪ time is up if time is up, you are not allowed any more time to do something: I wasn’t able to finish the test before the time was up.
   ▪ time runs out if time runs out, there is no more time available to do something, especially something important: The desperate search for survivors continues, but time is running out.
   ▪ expire formal if a ticket, bank card, legal document etc expires, the period of time during which you can use it has ended: I’m afraid we can’t accept this credit card – it expired last week.
   ▪ be at an end if something is at an end, it has ended: We both knew that our marriage was at an end. | The long wait was at an end.
     
end in something phrasal verb
  1. to finish in a particular way:
    One in three marriages ends in divorce.
  2. it’ll (all) end in tears British English spoken used to say that something will have a bad result or not be successful
end up phrasal verb
  to be in a particular situation, state, or place after a series of events, especially when you did not plan it:
    He came round for a coffee and we ended up having a meal together.
    I wondered where the pictures would end up after the auction.
    end up doing something
    Most slimmers end up putting weight back on.
    end up with
    Anyone who swims in the river could end up with a nasty stomach upset.
    end up as
    He could end up as President.
    end up like
    I don’t want to end up like my parents.