prune

¹ American  

[proon] / prun /

noun

• prunes
  plural

1. a variety of plum that dries without spoiling.

2. such a plum when dried.

3. any plum.

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prune ² American  

[proon] / prun /

verb (used with object)

pruned, pruning

1. to cut or lop off (twigs, branches, or roots).

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

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

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

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prune ³ American  

[proon] / prun /

verb (used with object)

pruned, pruning

1. Archaic. to preen.

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prune ¹ British  

/ pruːn /

noun

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

2. slang a dull, uninteresting, or foolish person

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prune ² British  

/ 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)

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prune ³ British  

/ pruːn /

verb

1. an archaic word for preen 1

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prune Idioms  

1. see full of beans, def. 2.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prunability
  noun
• pruner
  noun
• prunable
  adjective
• unprunable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• prunes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prune¹

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

Origin of prune²

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 ( def. )

Origin of prune³

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 preen ¹

Explanation

To prune means to clip, crop, cut back, and weed out. Pruning usually happens to overgrown trees and bushes, but can also be helpful for wild eyebrows and guest lists that are too long. You may have also heard of another form of prune: the kind you eat. But other than dried plums, the word is generally used in verb form to describe giving something a much needed trim. Gardeners prune plants, cutting back dead branches and weak parts so they can thrive and grow better. Companies prune budgets to cut back on unnecessary spending. And you might need to prune your baseball hat collection if you're running out of places to put them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prune prunes pruned pruning

You can sharpen your strengths and prune a position into something that you truly enjoy.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

Over three decades, Smith helped successive Fed chairs with differing styles hone the communication apparatus Warsh now wants to prune.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Trees and plants are well-manicured: officials prune, shape and clear the shrubs regularly, and parks are governed by an elaborate rulebook that includes bans on activities like cycling, skating and kite-flying, depending on the park.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026

Arnold wasn’t afraid to prune the portfolio either.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

“They drink prune juice. But Mom says they’ll buy apple juice for me if I ask.”

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Snacking on 8-10 prunes a day and some rye bread can also have a similar effect.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2025

Many Sonoma growers had historically considered grapes a crop of last resort, compared with more profitable apples, prunes and olives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2025

Otherwise, the script prunes the couple’s legal battle down to one scene with Ivy’s viperous lawyer, played by Allison Janney, who brings a rottweiler to the showdown and claims it’s her service animal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2025

Think of classic pairings: sautéed apples with pork chops, applesauce with latkes, or the tangy sweetness of prunes in dishes like Chicken Marbella.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2025

He had found some young puffball mushrooms and a plum tree covered with purple plums which had ripened and dried almost to prunes, when he spotted the bird in the undergrowth.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

On a block in the city’s west side, a row of trees had been pruned to more closely resemble a brutal letter V.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

But no one expected a live demonstration, and certainly not from one of the esteemed artists featured within the museum’s pristinely pruned collection.

From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2026

Having pruned the administrative state and cut red tape, experts say Lam will focus on spurring private sector growth and digital and technological progress.

From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026

The perfectly pruned roses are just beginning to leaf out and the plants in the vegetable garden are seedlings.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2025

“I should have done this a month ago. The canes bleed if they’re pruned this late, but better late than never, as they say.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Is Microsoft laying off 3,200 employees from the Xbox division just a new boss coming in and pruning an overgrown asset, or is it a sign that console gaming is coming to the end?

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

Investor sentiment will be driven by net debt reductions and pruning of the portfolio, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Shafer noticed he could wear a T-shirt while pruning trees instead of the usual hooded sweatshirt and knitted hat.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

They’re pruning good investors who had a down year and keeping mediocre ones who got lucky.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

We spent the day doing the usual: raking leaves, pruning bushes, watering flowers and weeding the lawn.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• cut back
• shave
• shear
• shorten
• snip