[Vocabulary] What is the synonym for "end of something"?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Venus.jam

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Hi there,

I wonder if both of the following words can be considered as a synonym for "end of something".

1. Tip
2. Bottom
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
They will all depend on context.

If you reach the eastern tip of a peninsula (that extends to the east), you've reached the end.
If you reach the bottom of a list, you've reached the end.

But you wouldn't say you've reached the tip of a list, nor the bottom of an eastward-pointing peninsula.
 

Venus.jam

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Thanks. So, you mean both of them mean "the end of something" but regarding the use of "tip" we can make use of it in some contexts and not others. And the same is true about "bottom". Right?
But, you know, in the story that I'm reading it and it is about starfish both "tip" and "bottom" have been used in the following sentences:

The starfish crawls along the bottom of the sea.
It sees with a spot on the tip of each arm.

Then, at the end of this story there is a set of exercises. In one of them the readers have been asked to find words in the story that mean:

1. End of something:
2. Creep
etc.

Now, in such a context which word between "tip" and "bottom" should be written here? I think we should write both of them, but explain that each word is used in a specific context. Right?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
No.

In the context you were given, the "tip of each arm" means "the end of each arm."

The "bottom of the sea" is not the "end" of the sea.

If you said "the bottom of each arm" it would mean the part that faces down. It's a different meaning.

Do you know which word means "creep"?
 

Venus.jam

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
The "bottom of the sea" is not the "end" of the sea.

Do you know which word means "creep"?

Excuse me, why bottom does not mean the end of the sea?
Yes. Crawls means creep. Thank you!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
[STRIKE]Excuse me,[/STRIKE] Why does "bottom" [STRIKE]does[/STRIKE] not mean the "end" of the sea?
Yes. Crawls means creep. Thank you!

"The bottom of the sea" is another way of saying "the seabed". It's not used to describe where the sea "ends".
 

Venus.jam

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
"The bottom of the sea" is another way of saying "the seabed". It's not used to describe where the sea "ends".

Aww, so we should use "seaside" for the end of the sea. Right?
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Spelt that way, it's more likely to be followed by 'What a bonny baby'/'What a cute kitten', or 'Rats! I spilt my gin' — depending on the tone of voice.

'Oh' is an expression of realisation — 'I see'/I get it', or surprise — 'Oh , really?'
 

GoesStation

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Is the use of "aww" incorrect? I've seen its usage by a native American.

Americans frequently write aww, and variations on it, as a way to write an interjection that means "isn't that cute?" and various other things depending on inflection.

On this forum we stick with more standard written English forms. It's OK to write aww on Facebook, but not on an English exam or on usingenglish.com.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
It's used in BrE too, with the same connotation. I use it fairly frequently as, for example, a comment on a Facebook video (usually of very cute baby animals!) or as a reply to a friend's text message if they're offering to do something nice for me.

Friend - Do you want to come here for dinner Friday evening? I'll cook your favourite!
Me - Awww, bless. That's so sweet of you. I'd love to.
Friend - Great. See you at 8.

I wouldn't use it on this forum though.
 

Venus.jam

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Spelt that way, it's more likely to be followed by 'What a bonny baby'/'What a cute kitten', or 'Rats! I spilt my gin' — depending on the tone of voice.

'Oh' is an expression of realisation — 'I see'/I get it', or surprise — 'Oh , really?'

So the meaning of both "aww" and "oh" are the same, but their context of use is different. "Oh" is the formal and standard way of " aww". Am I right?
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
No — you are wrong. What was there in my post to make you think they are the same?
 

Venus.jam

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
Turkish
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
No — you are wrong. What was there in my post to make you think they are the same?

I just concluded it based on the other responses that I received, such as "On this forum we stick with more standard written English forms. It's OK to write aww on Facebook, but not on an English exam or on usingenglish.com"
However, yours sounded different to me.��
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top