truncate

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

|Updated on: 23 Jul 2018

Examples: truncate in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Connection Between truncate and Trees

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!

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

Recent Examples of truncate from the Web

While the challenge often is truncating an abundance of material, sometimes the dilemma is the opposite.

— carita rizzo, The Hollywood Reporter, "Writers on 'Versace,' 'Tupac' and More Reveal Secrets to Bringing True Tales to the Screen," 1 June 2018
In addition to potential weekend sessions and truncating the August recess, the senators floated an interesting idea for handling regular fiscal 2019 spending bills ahead of August.

— tribune news service, NOLA.com, "Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy join GOP colleagues urging Senate to skip August recess," 15 May 2018
The endings are frequently murky and strange, often abruptly truncated.

— parul sehgal, New York Times, "A Master Storyteller From 19th-Century Brazil, Heir to the Greats and Entirely Sui Generis," 6 June 2018
After a 16-month absence from Slam tennis, and at the age of 36, Williams won her first three matches and looked to be a real contender in Paris before this pectoral injury truncated her tournament.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Three Thoughts on Serena Williams' Withdrawl From French Open," 4 June 2018
Their preference was to wait until the 17th day of the season, which would have delayed the start of Lucchesi’s service time clock while potentially truncating his season by just two starts.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres prospect Joey Lucchesi to make major league debut Friday," 29 Mar. 2018
Looney has battled injuries in his career thus far, including one that delayed his start at UCLA and led to labrum surgery that truncated his rookie year in 2015-16.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "68 Degrees of Separation: a Wisconsin connection to every team in the 2018 NCAA Tournament," 12 Mar. 2018
Should such a beautifully ephemeral creature really have to truncate her fleeting cultural moment, so some functionaries in suits can protect their revenue flow? Watch Ogunbowale.

— sally jenkins, chicagotribune.com, "As Arike Ogunbowale dances with gusto, the NCAA sidesteps with cowardice," 2 May 2018
In a freshman season last spring truncated by his recovery from an ACL injury suffered as a senior at McDonogh, Matt Woodson had eight goals and five assists in 10 games, including six starts.

— edward lee, baltimoresun.com, "Men’s lacrosse notes: Salisbury looking forward to 'opportunity' against York," 4 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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truncate Synonyms

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

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."