ăpŏcŏpē, ēs, f., = ἀποκοπή, a gram. fig.,
the dropping of a letter or syllable at the end of a word (e. g. bonu' for bonus, do for domo), Prob. p. 1438 P.; Don. p. 1772 P.; Charis. p. 248 P.; Victor. p. 2499 P.; cf. Wagn. ad Verg. Cat. 2.
·noun A cutting off; abscission. II. Apocope ·noun The cutting off, or omission, of the last letter...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language