Lewis & Short

1. truncus, a, um, 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).

  1. 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.
          1. (β) Poet., with gen.: animalia trunca pedum, without feet, Verg. G. 4, 310: truncus capitis, Sil 10, 311.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 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
      2. 2. Of members cut off: bracchia, Val. Fl. 4, 181: manus, Sen. Contr 1, 4.
  2. 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.:

2. truncus, i, m., the stem, stock, bole, or trunk of a tree (without regard to its branches).

  1. I. Lit.: cibus … Per truncos ac per ramos diffunditur omnes, Lucr. 1, 353: quid? in arboribus, in quibus non truncus, non rami, non folia sunt denique, nisi, etc., Cic. de Or. 3, 46, 179; cf. id. Sen. 15, 52; id. N. D. 2, 47, 120; id. Lael. 13, 48; Caes. B. G. 4, 17; 7, 73, Verg. G. 2, 78; 3, 233; Hor S. 1, 8, 1; id. C. 2, 17, 27; 3, 4, 55; Ov. M. 2, 358; 8, 346; id. H. 9, 93; Col. Arb. 17, 1; Sen. Ep. 86, 17.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Of the human body, the trunk, the body, apart from the limbs: status erectus et celsus, nullā mollitiā cervicum: trunco magis toto se ipse moderans, Cic. Or. 18, 59: nemo illum ex trunco corporis spectabat, id. Rosc. Com. 10, 28: recto pugnat se attollere trunco, Ov. M. 2, 822; cf. id. ib. 7, 640: et caput abscisum calido viventeque trunco, Lucr. 3, 654: jacet litore truncus. Verg. A. 2, 557.
      2. 2. Of a column.
          1. (α) The shaft, Vitr. 4, 1 med.
          2. (β) The cubical trunk of a pedestal, the die or dado, Vitr. 3, 3; cf. Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 201.
      3. 3. A piece cut off, as a branch of a tree for an our: frondentes, Val. Fl. 8, 287; a piece of flesh for smoking (cf. trunculus), Verg. M. 57.
      4. 4. Like caudex, stipes, and the Engl. stock, for blockhead, dunce, dolt: quī potest esse in ejusmodi trunco sapientia? Cic. N. D. 1, 30, 84: tamquam truncus atque stipes, id. Pis. 9, 19.
  2. * II. Trop., a trunk, stem: quae (stirpes aegritudinis) ipso trunco everso omnes eligendae (elidendae, Kühn.) sunt, Cic. Tusc. 3, 34, 83.