The earliest use of truncate is as an adjective describing something (such as a leaf or feather) with the end squared off as if it had been cut. It makes sense, then, that the verb refers to shortening things. The word comes from Latin truncare ("to shorten"), which traces to truncus ("trunk").
Verb some of the quotations from the movie had to be truncated to fit on tie-in products
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Did the form or computer system truncate your entries only listing 10 family members? Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 24 June 2022 Too-early high school start times then truncate teen sleep in the morning, so that sleep is squeezed at both ends. Julie Wright, WSJ, 26 Mar. 2022 Protesters have swarmed city streets ever since the Oakland school board’s Feb. 9 vote to close, merge or truncate 11 schools beginning this summer and continuing through the next academic year. Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2022 What my best tactic is: to just sit and listen quietly and let the awkward silences fill themselves and not truncate my guests from their point.Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2022 Multiple mergers were removed from the resolution, but members voted to merge RISE Community Elementary with New Highland Academy, and to truncate 6-8 from La Escuelita K-8 and Hillcrest K-8. Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Feb. 2022 The coronavirus forced the MLB to delay, truncate and rearrange its 2020 season, likely denting fans’ enthusiasm and causing World Series ratings to dip. Joe Walsh, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021 Or, lawmakers could choose to delay or truncate such programs to lower the cost. Aj Willingham, CNN, 6 Oct. 2021 There are no shortcuts available to Yazidis -- no way to truncate our trauma. Nadia Murad, CNN, 16 Aug. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin truncatus, past participle of truncare to shorten, from truncus trunk