Afklingen

Afklingen is a Dutch verb meaning to remove the end or tail of an object by cutting or trimming. The term is used mainly in technical, industrial, or specialized contexts, and is less common in everyday speech. In general language, speakers often prefer synonyms such as afknippen or afkorten, which convey similar ideas of shortening or trimming.

Contexts and usage

- Manufacturing and engineering: afklingen can refer to trimming the ends of cables, hoses, tubes, or wires to meet specifications, improve fit, or remove damaged material.

- Woodworking and metalworking: the process of trimming the ends of rods, profiles, or fasteners to ensure proper alignment or finish.

- Installation and construction: preparing components for assembly by removing excess material from ends.

- Linguistics (less common): metaphorically, afklingen can describe removing final morphemes or inflections to obtain a stem or base form, though other terms are more typical in linguistic contexts.

Usage notes

Because afklingen is a specialized term, it tends to appear in technical documentation, manuals, or industry-specific discourse. In more general writing, it may be clearer to use afknippen, afkorten, or afsnijden, depending on the exact sense of cutting off or shortening involved.

See also

afknippen, afkorten, afsnijden, trimmen

This article provides a concise overview of the term’s core meaning, typical domains of use, and its relation to more common synonyms.