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The Connection Between Truncate and Trees
Bushwhack your way deep enough into the literature of tree identification and you may come across references to trees with “truncate” leaves. Such leaves (as of the tulip tree, for example) have bases that are straight and even, as though they’ve been cut or sheared away from something larger. The adjectival use of truncate isn’t common—it’s mostly found in technical writing (and can also describe feathers, etc., that appear squared or evened off), but the familiar verb doesn’t fall far from the tree: it is applied when something is shortened by literally or figuratively lopping part of it off, as when someone truncates a planned speech to fit time constraints. Both adjective and noun come from the Latin verb truncare, meaning “to shorten,” which in turn traces back to the noun truncus, meaning “trunk.” So next time you’re stumped about the meaning of truncate, try to picture, well, a stump.
Synonyms
Examples of truncate in a Sentence
Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
The eight episodes are truncated instead of the typical hour, running 30 minutes or less.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025
But now the minor leagues have been truncated and organizations have smaller reserve lists.
—Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
There would have been a few more episodes, so some stuff got truncated because of time issues.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for truncate 
Dictionary Entries Near truncate
Cite this Entry
“Truncate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truncate. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
truncate
1 of 2 adjective
truncate
2 of 2 verb
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