truncate

/ˌtrʌŋˈkeɪt/

/ˈtrʌŋkeɪt/

Other forms: truncated; truncating; truncates

The verb truncate means "to cut off or shorten." You can truncate a board that is too long using a power saw, a chain saw, or perhaps even a karate kick.

The word truncate is from a Latin word, truncare, which means "to maim or to cut off." Although this brings to mind a more grisly image ("truncate a limb in an accident"), you can actually truncate things that are not related to anatomy. You could truncate an essay by omitting a paragraph or two, or you could even truncate your vacation in Belize by heading home early.

Definitions of truncate

1. verb

   make shorter as if by cutting off
   “truncate a word”

   “Erosion has truncated the ridges of the mountains”

   synonyms: cut short

   type of:

   shorten

   make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
2. verb

   approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one
   “truncate a series”

   type of:

   approximate, estimate, gauge, guess, judge

   judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
3. verb

   replace a corner by a plane
   type of:

   exchange, interchange, replace, substitute

   put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items
4. adjective

   terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off
   “a truncate leaf”

   synonyms: truncated

   short

   (primarily spatial sense) having little length or lacking in length