Truncation is a process used in various fields, such as mathematics and computer science, where a number or a piece of data is shortened by cutting off part of it. For example, if you have the number 3.14159 and you truncate it to two decimal places, it becomes 3.14. This method is often used to simplify calculations or to fit data into a specific format. In the context of search engines, truncation allows users to find variations of a word by using a symbol, like an asterisk (*). For instance, searching for educat* can yield results for education, educator, and educating. This technique helps in retrieving more comprehensive information efficiently.