truncation

UK: /trʌŋˈkeɪʃən/ US: (trung kā′shən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

trun•ca•tion  (trung kā′shən), n. 

1. the act or process of truncating.
2. the quality or state of being truncated.
3. Poetry [Pros.] the omission of one or more unaccented syllables at the beginning or the end of a line of verse.
4. Banking, Business a system of electronic check recording under which canceled checks are not returned to customers by the bank.

• Late Latin truncātiōn- (stem of truncātiō), equivalent. to Latin truncātus (see truncate) + -iōn- -ion
• 1570–80

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

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 © 2025

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.