prune

1
[ proon ]
See synonyms for: prunepruningpruner on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a variety of plum that dries without spoiling.

  2. such a plum when dried.

  1. any plum.

Origin of prune

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English prune, pruna, prum “plum, dried plum, prune,” from Old French prune, pronne, prume, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin prūna, neuter plural (taken as feminine singular) of Latin prūnum “plum,” from Greek proû(m)non, from a language of ancient Anatolia, where the tree and its fruit originated; see also plum

Other definitions for prune (2 of 3)

prune2
[ proon ]

verb (used with object),pruned, prun·ing.
  1. to cut or lop off (twigs, branches, or roots).

  2. to cut or lop superfluous or undesired twigs, branches, or roots from; trim.

  1. to rid or clear of (anything superfluous or undesirable).

  2. to remove (anything considered superfluous or undesirable).

Origin of prune

2
First recorded in 1400–50; from Middle English prouynen, from Middle French prougner, from Old French prooignier, proignier, poroindre “to cut back (vines); prune”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from unrecorded Vulgar Latin prōrotundiāre “to make round, cut in a rounded shape”; perhaps a variant of French provigner “to layer vines,” a derivative of provain “scion,” from Latin propāgin-, stem of propāgō; see origin at propagate;see also rotund

Other words from prune

  • prun·a·ble, adjective
  • prun·a·bil·i·ty [proo-nuh-bil-i-tee], /ˌpru nəˈbɪl ɪ ti/, noun
  • prun·er, noun
  • un·prun·a·ble, adjective

Other definitions for prune (3 of 3)

prune3
[ proon ]

verb (used with object),pruned, prun·ing.
  1. Archaic. to preen.

Origin of prune

3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English prunen, pruynen, proy(g)nen, from Old French poroign-, present stem of poroindre, equivalent to por- (from Latin pro-) + oindre “to anoint”; see origin at pro-1, unguent;see also preen1

Other words from prune

  • prun·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use prune in a sentence

  • On the afternoon of July 15, the grape vine on the wall near my window was being attended to by the pruner.

    Memoirs of a Surrey Labourer | George Sturt (AKA George Bourne)
  • I prune my trees in June when they are large, so as to let in light and sun; I use a tree pruner; think it pays.

    The Apple | Various
  • He usually managed to give the vines in my neighborhood extra attention—like Garibaldi, he was a confirmed pruner.

    The Smiling Hill-Top | Julia M. Sloane
  • Van Beneden and Pruner-Bey, who are both great authorities on the subject of anthropology.

    Primitive Man | Louis Figuier
  • Pruner Bey describes it as "ammoniacal and rancid; it is like the odor of the he-goat."

British Dictionary definitions for prune (1 of 3)

prune1

/ (pruːn) /


noun
  1. a purplish-black partially dried fruit of any of several varieties of plum tree

  2. slang, mainly British a dull, uninteresting, or foolish person

Origin of prune

1
C14: from Old French prune, from Latin prūnum plum, from Greek prounon

British Dictionary definitions for prune (2 of 3)

prune2

/ (pruːn) /


verb
  1. to remove (dead or superfluous twigs, branches, etc) from (a tree, shrub, etc), esp by cutting off

  2. to remove (anything undesirable or superfluous) from (a book, etc)

Origin of prune

2
C15: from Old French proignier to clip, probably from provigner to prune vines, from provain layer (of a plant), from Latin propāgo a cutting

Derived forms of prune

  • prunable, adjective
  • pruner, noun

British Dictionary definitions for prune (3 of 3)

prune3

/ (pruːn) /


verb
  1. an archaic word for preen 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with prune

prune

see full of beans, def. 2.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.