I.adj [root tark-, truc-, to break, tear; cf. torqueo], maimed, mutilated, mangled, dismembered, disfigured, deprived of some of its parts (mostly poet. and perh. not ante-Aug.; syn.: mutilus, mancus).
I. Lit.: “trunca manu pinus regit (Polyphemum),” i. e. the trunk of a pinetree, Verg. A. 3, 659: “trunca illa et retorrida manus Mucii,” Sen. Ep. 66, 51: “nemora,” i. e. trees stripped of their branches, Stat. Th. 4, 455: “truncas mhonesto vulnere nares,” Verg. A. 6, 497: “vultus naribus auribusque,” Mart. 2, 83, 3: “frons,” deprived of its horn, Ov. M. 9, 1; 9, 86; Sil. 3, 42: “frontem lumina truncam,” deprived of its eyes, id. 9, 400: “bracchia non habuit, truncoque repandus in undas Corpore desiluit,” deprived of its limbs, Ov. M. 3, 680; cf. Just. 2, 9, 19: “puerum trunci corporis in agro Romano natum,” Liv. 41, 9, 5: “varie ex integris truncos gigni, ex truncis integros,” Plin. 7, 11, 10, § 50: “tela,” i.e. broken in pieces, Verg. A. 11, 9; cf.: “trunci enses et fractae hastae,” Stat. Th. 2, 711: “truncum lignum, i. e. hasta fracta,” Val. Fl. 6, 251: membra carmae, Ov M. 11, 560; cf. “alnus,” without oars, Val. Fl. 2, 300: “truncae atque mutilae litterae,” Gell. 17, 9, 12: “exta,” Val. Max. 1, 6, 9.—
(β).
Poet., with gen.: “animalia trunca pedum,” without feet, Verg. G. 4, 310: truncus capitis, Sil 10, 311.—
B. Transf.
1. Of things, not developed, imperfect, or wanting in their parts: “quaedam imperfecta (animalia) suisque Trunca vident numeris,” Ov. M. 1, 428: “ranae pedibus,” id. ib. 15, 376: “ipse (nanus) jactabat truncas manus,” Prop. 4 (5), 8, 42.mdash;
II. Trop., maimed, mutilated: “(Capua) urbs trunca, sine senatu, sine plebe, sine magistratibus,” Liv. 31, 29, 11: “pecus,” without a leader, Stat. Th. 5, 333: “manus vero, sine quibus trunca esset actio ac debilis, vix dici potest, quot motus habeant,” Quint. 11, 3, 85: “trunca et debilis medicina (sine rerum naturae cognitione), Cels. praef.: sermo (volucrum),” Stat. Th. 12, 478: “trunca quaedam ex Menandro,” fragments, Gell. 2, 23, 21.—Hence, subst.:
