Truncation is a technique used to broaden the scope of your search in a database. In this case, truncation refers to including different word endings and spellings to cast a greater net. In a database search, a truncation technique could look like the following:
Truncation symbols can vary by database, the common ones being *, ?, !, or #
Wildcards function in a similar manner to truncation: they substitute a specific symbol for one letter of a word. As an example, take the word color. In a database that accepts wildcards, if we wanted to explore different variations on the word color, this is how it'd look: colo?r. The database will then search for color or its alternative spelling, colour.