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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
Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024
The Stranger’s section feels truncated, for instance.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
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
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 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
truncate
1 of 2 adjective
truncate
2 of 2 verb
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