Definition
An insulated electrical component, usually a strip of plastic or fiber, fitted with a row of metal terminals where wires can be attached by screws or solder lugs. It provides an organized junction point for connecting, branching, or grounding aircraft wiring.
Plain English
A small block with several screw points where wires are joined together neatly instead of being twisted or taped.
Context Anchor
Seen during aircraft maintenance, electrical inspections, and troubleshooting behind panels or near installed equipment.
Derivation
Terminal comes from the Latin terminus, meaning 'end' or 'boundary.' A terminal strip is literally a strip where wire ends meet and are held in place.
Why Pilots Care
Secure connections on a terminal strip prevent electrical faults that could affect radios, instruments, lights, or flight controls.
Intuition Check
A terminal strip is not an airport terminal or a runway strip. Here, terminal means an electrical connection point, and strip means the narrow piece that holds several connection points together.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic traced the radio fault to a loose wire on the terminal strip behind the instrument panel.
Example Sentence 2
Before flight, the pilot noticed a loose screw on the terminal strip behind the panel and had it tightened.