trunc-, truncat-

(Latin: to maim, to cut off; mutilated; cut short)

alitrunk (s) (noun), alitrunks (pl)
The thorax, or the section of the body of an insect where the legs and wings are connected and which is joined with the first segment of the abdomen.
celiac trunk (s) (noun), celiac trunks (pl)
An anatomical part of the body that comes up from the abdominal aorta or main artery which carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body: "Most of the blood supply for the liver, stomach, spleen, gallbladder, pancreas, and duodenum comes from this celiac trunk."
lumbosacral trunk (s) (noun), lumbosacral trunks (pl)
The main part of the fourth and all of he fifth lumbar spinal nerves: "These nerves of the lumbosacral trunk accompany part of the first, second, and third sacral nerves to form the sciatic nerve."
pulmonary trunk (s) (noun), pulmonary trunks (pl)
The great vessel that comes up from the right ventricle of the heart: "The pulmonary trunk branches to the right and to the left pulmonary arteries of the lungs."
truncal (adjective)
1. Of or relating to the main part of the body: "The truncal parts that are connected to the torso or body include the head, arms, and legs."
2. Referring to an arterial or main nerve or blood vessel of the body: "The truncal sections of the nerves or blood vessels don't include the branches but refer to the main parts of those bodily elements."
truncate (TRUHNG kayt") (verb), truncates; truncated; truncating
1. To shorten something by cutting off or removing a part or to make shorter: A malformation or birth defect can truncate an arm or even a leg.
2. To decrease a presentation by making it briefer; especially, by removing the end of it: Television coverage of the soccer match was truncated by a technical fault.
3. To restrict the precision of a decimal number by limiting or dropping the digits to the right of the decimal point without rounding them: The numbers 1.4262 and 1.4887 can both be truncated to 1.4 by not rounding them off.
4. Etymology: from Latin truncare, "to cut short, to mutilate".
To cut off a part of or to shorten by cutting.
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To make something short as a TV program.
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truncated (adjective)
1. Not pointed; a description of a leaf that has a blunt end, so that it looks as if a part has been cut off.
2. Leaves that are square or broad at the end, as if cut off transversely.
3. Lacking the apex or point, as certain spiral shells.
truncation (s) (noun), truncation (pl)
1. The omission of one or more unaccented syllables at the beginning or the end of a line of verse.
2. In banking, a system of electronic check recording under which canceled checks are not returned to customers by the bank.
3. Something that has been shortened, lopped, or cut off.
4. Anything that has a square end as if it were cut off; lacking an apex or point.
truncheon (s) (noun), truncheons (pl)
1. A short heavy stick carried by a police officer; a "billy club".
2. A baton carried as a symbol of rank or authority, a baton or a military staff of command.
3. The shaft of a spear or the shattered shaft of a spear.
4. A stout stem, as of a tree, with the branches trimmed off, to produce rapid growth. 5. Etymology: The "shaft of a spear", also "a short stick, a cudgel", from Old Norse French tronchon, Old French tronchon (11th century), "a piece cut off, a thick stick, a stump", from Vulgar Latin truncionem, from Latin truncus. The meaning "staff as a symbol of office" is recorded from 1575; the sense of "policeman's club" is recorded from 1880.
truncheoneer, truncheoner (s) (noun); truncheoneers, truncheoners
Someone who is armed with a short club that is is used by police officers: "'The local truncheoners were standing in front of the government office to keep unauthorized people away."
truncus (s) (noun), trunci (pl)
The thorax or middle region of the body of an insect.
trunk (s) (noun), trunks (pl)
1. The main stem or body of a tree, considered apart from its roots and branches.
2. The main part of the body of a human or animal not including the head, legs, and arms.

"The trunk is the central part of the body, consisting of the chest and abdomen, to which the head, the arms, and the legs are connected."

3. The thorax of an insect: "That part of an insect’s body to which its legs and wings are connected."
4. The main stem of a blood vessel excluding the branches: "In this case, the trunk is a large blood vessel or a nerve from which smaller vessels or nerves branch off or divide into smaller structures."
5. A compartment in an automobile that carries luggage, shopping goods, tools, etc.: "Before going on her trip, Kassandra loaded up the trunk of her antique car with hand bags."
Application and origin of a trunk in a car.
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The sense of "luggage compartment of a motor vehicle" is from 1930; probably from a reference to a large strong traveling case or box with a hinged lid that is bigger, more rigid, and less portable than a suitcase which was attached to the back of early automobiles. "Trunk" is used in North-American English while "boot" is used in most of the other English-speaking countries.

6. Etymology: From 1462, "a box, a case," from Old French tronc "alms box in a church", also "trunk of a tree, trunk of the human body", from Latin truncus; originally, "mutilated, cut off". The meaning "box, case" is likely to be from the notion of the body as the "case" of the organs.

Engish acquired the other two senses of the Old French word later; the sense of "main stem of a tree" dates from 1490; that of "torso of a human body" from 1494.

The reference to an elephant's snout is from 1565, probably from confusion with trump (short for trumpet). Railroad trunk line is attested from 1843; the telephone version is from 1889; a telephone line or channel between two central offices or switching devices that is used in providing telephone connections between subscribers generally.

A list of synonyms for trunk

  1. Trunk, tree trunk, bole, stalk, stem; usage: the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part of the tree that is commercially useful for lumber.
  2. Trunk, baggage, luggage; usage: luggage consisting of a large strong case used when traveling or for storage.
  3. Torso, trunk, body, body part; usage: the body excluding the head and neck and limbs.
  4. Luggage compartment, automobile trunk, trunk, compartment; usage: compartment in an automobile that carries luggage or shopping or tools; such as, "He put his tools in the trunk of his car."
  5. Proboscis, trunk, snout, neb; usage: a long flexible snout; such as, of an elephant.
trunks (pl) (noun)
1. Shorts worn for swimming, for other athletics, or for general wear in the summer or where ever a person wants to wear them.
2. Cut-off pants.

Related cutting-word units: cast-; castrat-; -cise, -cide; -ectomy; mutil-; put-; sec-, seg-; temno-; -tomy.