truncate

truncate
1 of 2
verb
trun·;cate ;tr;;-;k;t  ;tr;n-
truncated; truncating
Synonyms of truncate
transitive verb

1
: to shorten by or as if by cutting off
2
: to replace (an edge or corner of a crystal) by a plane
truncation
tr;;-;k;-sh;n
tr;n-
 noun
truncate

2 of 2
adjective
: having the end square or even
truncate leaves


Did you know?
The Connection Between Truncate and Trees

The earliest use of truncate is as an adjective describing something (such as a leaf or feather) with the end squared off as if it had been cut. It makes sense, then, that the verb refers to shortening things. The word comes from Latin truncare ("to shorten"), which traces to truncus ("trunk").

Synonyms
Verb

abbreviate
abridge
curtail
cut back
dock
elide
shorten
syncopate
Examples of truncate in a Sentence
Verb
some of the quotations from the movie had to be truncated to fit on tie-in products
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
In the time since, the freight forwarder has sought to truncate the network.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
His discussion of some of their theories can also come across as truncated.
—Yuen Foong Khong, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2017
Adjective
Chris Blume, who chairs the working group for the PNG image format that Snipping Tool uses, helped tip Buchanan off to the issue by tweeting that Snipping Tool seems to not truncate files correctly when overwriting existing images.
—Mitchell Clark, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2023