truncate

US: /ˈtrʌŋkeɪt/ ,(trung′kāt)

Inflections of 'truncate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

truncates

v 3rd person singular

truncating

v pres p

truncated

v past

truncated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

trun•cate /ˈtrʌŋkeɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -cat•ed, -cat•ing. 

1. to shorten by or as if by cutting off a part:
   to truncate his essay by deleting a few lines.

trun•ca•tion, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

trun•cate  (trung′kāt), v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing, adj. 
v.t. 

1. to shorten by cutting off a part;
   cut short:
   Truncate detailed explanations.
2. Mathematics, Computing to shorten (a number) by dropping a digit or digits:
   The numbers 1.4142 and 1.4987 can both be truncated to 1.4.

adj. 

3. truncated.
4. Biology
   • square or broad at the end, as if cut off transversely.
   • lacking the apex, as certain spiral shells.

• Latin truncātus (past participle of truncāre to lop), equivalent. to trunc(us) trunk + -ātus -ate¹
• 1480–90

trun′cate•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. abridge, trim, curtail, abbreviate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

truncate verb / trʌŋˈkeɪt ˈtrʌŋkeɪt/

1. (transitive) to shorten by cutting off a part, end, or top

adjective / ˈtrʌŋkeɪt/

1. cut short; truncated
2. having a blunt end, as though cut off at the tip

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin truncāre to lop

trunˈcation noun