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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary cli·max \\ˈklī-ˌmaks\\ noun ETYMOLOGY Late Latin, from Greek klimax, literally, ladder, from klinein to lean
DATE circa 1550
1. a figure of speech in which a series of phrases or sentences is arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness2. a. the highest point : culmination the climax of a distinguished career b. the point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action (as of a play) c. orgasm d. menopause 3. a relatively stable ecological stage or community especially of plants that is achieved through successful adaptation to an environment; especially : the final stage in ecological successionSynonyms: see summit • cli·max·less adjectiveverb DATE 1835
transitive verb: to bring to a climax climaxed his boxing career with a knockoutintransitive verb: to come to a climax a riot climaxing in the destruction of several houses
climax
1589, from L.L. climax (gen. climacis), from Gk. klimax "propositions rising in effectiveness," lit. "ladder," from base of klinein "to slope," from PIE base *klei- "to lean" (see lean (v.)). The rhetorical meaning evolved in Eng. through "series of steps by which a goal is achieved," to "escalating steps," to (1789) "high point," a usage credited by the OED "to popular ignorance." The verb is 1835, from the noun. The meaning "orgasm" is first recorded 1918, apparently coined by birth-control pioneer Marie Stopes, as a more accessible word than orgasm.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishclimax
noun 1 exciting/important event, point in time, etc. ADJ. big, dramatic, exciting, grand, great, powerful, thrilling | fitting VERB + CLIMAX come to, reach The crisis reached its climax in the 1970s. | approach, near, rise to, build up to, work up to The story gradually builds up to a powerful climax. | bring sth to The affair was brought to a climax when the chairman resigned. | mark Yesterday marked the climax of the celebrations. CLIMAX + VERB come The climax came at the end of the second act of the play. PREP. at the ~ The hero dies at the climax of the opera. | in a/the ~ In a dramatic climax, our team lost the match by one goal. | ~ to His promotion was a fitting climax to a worthy career. 2 highest point of sexual pleasure ADJ. sexual VERB + CLIMAX achieve, reach She found it hard to achieve a/reach climax. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 climaxcli·max / 5klaimAks / noun1. the most exciting or important event or point in time (重要事情或时刻的)高潮,极点,顶点: to come to / reach a climax 达到极点 the climax of his political career 他政治生涯的巅峰 2. the most exciting part of a play, piece of music, etc. that usually happens near the end (戏剧、音乐等通常接近结束时出现的)高潮3. the highest point of sexual pleasure 性高潮 SYN orgasm ⇨ compare anticlimax verb1. ~ with / in sth to come to or form the best, most exciting, or most important point in sth 达成(或形成)极点(或顶点、高潮): ▪ [V] The festival will climax on Sunday with a gala concert. 星期天的音乐盛会将把这个节日推向高潮。 ▪ [VN] (especially NAmE) The sensational verdict climaxed a six-month trial. 那项引起轰动的裁决使长达六个月的审判达到了高潮。 2. [V] to have an orgasm 达到性高潮
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: physiographic climax , or regional climax , or biotic climax , or selling climax , or cap the climax , or climatic climax , or climax basket , or edaphic climax
cli·maxI. \ˈklīˌmaks\ noun( -es) Etymology: Latin, from Greek klimax ladder, from klinein to lean — more at lean 1. : a figure of speech in which a number of phrases or sentences are arranged in ascending order of rhetorical forcefulness 2. a. : the last and highest member of a rhetorical climax b. : the highest point or one of a number of high points (as of significance, intensity, or achievements) in anything conceived as growing, developing, or unfolding < this group of brilliant paintings marks the climax of the artist's career > < the revolutionary upsurge reached its climax in bitter street fighting > c. : the point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action of a play, story, or other literary composition d. : orgasm e. : climacterium , menopause f. : the focus or center of interest in an artistic (as architectural) composition 3. : the peak or point of maximum development of a cultural tradition in a given area and period of time 4. : the relatively stable stage or community attained by an available population of organisms in a given environment, often constituting the culminating development in a natural succession or being one of the transitory stable states through which many populations pass before attaining such culminating development — see climatic climax , disclimax , edaphic climax , postclimax , preclimax , subclimax II. verb( -ed/-ing/-es) intransitive verb: to come or ascend to a climax < that decade which climaxed in 1912 was a time of tremendous change in our national life — W.A.White > < climaxing in the hair-raising death of Rasputin — Publisher's Weekly >transitive verb: to bring to a climax : provide a culminating event for < he climaxed his school career … by winning the Barbados Scholarship — Gordon Bell > < scenic interest … is climaxed in the Goat Rocks Primitive Area — American Guide Series: Washington > < climaxing bitter hardship, an epidemic took 156 of the 600 settlers — American Guide Series: Texas >
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