Truncation is a term used to describe the shortening of something, usually by cutting off the end. It comes from the Latin word truncare, which means to shorten. Truncation can be used as an adjective to describe something that has been cut off at the end, such as a leaf or a feather. It can also be used as a verb to refer to the act of shortening something.
Truncation is often used in mathematics when students are asked to shorten numbers that have digits that repeat after the decimal point. This helps save time when completing math tests. It is also used on social media platforms like Twitter, where posts must meet a certain character limit. In this case, truncation is used to shorten posts so they fit within the character limit.
Truncation can also be used in literature and other forms of writing. For example, if a competition limits a manuscript to seventy pages, the writer may have to truncate their work by erasing scenes. Similarly, if a guest reader has limited time, they may truncate a story by skipping some pages of the book.