apocope

noun apoc·o·pe \ə-ˈpä-kə-(ˌ)pē\

Definition of APOCOPE

: the loss of one or more sounds or letters at the end of a word (as in sing from Old English singan)

Late Latin, from Greek apokopē, literally, cutting off, from apokoptein to cut off, from apo- + koptein to cut — more at capon

First Known Use: circa 1550

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