truncate

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verb trun·cate \ ˈtrəŋ-ˌkāt , ˈtrən- \

Definition of truncate

truncated; truncating

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

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truncation

play \trəŋ-ˈkā-shən, trən-\ noun

See truncate defined for English-language learners

truncate was our Word of the Day on 10/08/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of truncate from the Web

My beauty routine feels truncated, almost anticlimactic.

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "This $185 Natural Face Oil Became a Cult Beauty Favorite," 21 Aug. 2017
Last month producers announced that stage and screen star Mandy Patinkin was being brought in to replace Onaodowan for a limited run, but the decision to truncate a black actor’s run and replace him with a white actor drew immediate criticism.

— oliver gettell, EW.com, "Great Comet actor dedicates final performance to Charlottesville victim," 13 Aug. 2017
The amorous couple was adapted from a pair of dancers in an exuberant Rubens painting of a country wedding — although here their legs have been truncated so that the figures are seated on the ground.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "The Getty just announced its most important drawings acquisition in 20 years—and adds a 'Surprise'," 20 July 2017
But the semiannual promotion is running up against the Jewish holidays, which begin at sundown Sept. 20, so it has been truncated.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Center City District Restaurant Week will be shorter this Sept.," 20 July 2017
There's even a staircase to nowhere - it was truncated after patients moved into the main building, and officials wanted to limit their ability to meander from floor to floor.

— susan glaser, cleveland.com, "Historic Buffalo insane asylum transformed into elegant Hotel Henry (photos)," 14 July 2017
The White House tried to challenge the licenses of Florida television stations owned by the Washington Post and was successful in browbeating William Paley, the head of CBS, to truncate a Walter Cronkite special report on Watergate.

— vanityfair.com, "New York Not Impressed By Rahm Emanuel’s Gloating," 5 July 2017
The White House tried to challenge the licenses of Florida television stations owned by the Washington Post and was successful in browbeating William Paley, the head of CBS, to truncate a Walter Cronkite special report on Watergate.

— The Hive, "New York Not Impressed By Rahm Emanuel’s Gloating," 5 July 2017
A rain delay of nearly two hours truncated Trevor Bauer's outing in the series finale against Kansas City.

— zack meisel, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Indians shuffle rotation again after Sunday's rain delay," 5 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'truncate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of truncate

circa 1717

truncate Synonyms

Synonyms

abbreviate, abridge, curtail, cut back, dock, elide, syncopate, shorten

Antonyms

elongate, extend, lengthen, prolong, protract

Related Words

abstract, digest, encapsulate, epitomize, recapitulate, summarize, sum up; abate, compress, constrict, contract, cut, cut down, pare, prune, trim; decrease, de-escalate, deflate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, moderate, modify, reduce, retrench, shrink, slash, subtract (from), taper

Near Antonyms

enlarge, expand, supplement; add, aggrandize, amplify, augment, balloon, boost, dilate, escalate, heighten, increase, maximize, pump up, raise; blow up, distend, inflate, swell

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

truncate

adjective

Definition of truncate

:having the end square or even

truncate leaves

See truncate defined for kids

Examples of truncate in a Sentence

a truncated version of the 11 o'clock newscast followed the awards show, which ran over its time slot—as it always does

The Connection Between truncate and Trees

Truncate descends from the Latin verb truncare, meaning "to shorten," which in turn can be traced back to the Latin word for the trunk of a tree, which is truncus. Incidentally, if you've guessed that truncus is also the ancestor of the English word trunk, you are correct. Truncus also gave us truncheon, which is the name for a police officer's billy club, and the obscure word obtruncate, meaning "to cut the head or top from."