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• plum
  plum

  noun

  the drupaceous fruit of any of several trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, having an oblong stone.
• Plum
  Plum

  noun

  a city in SW Pennsylvania.

plum

¹ American  

[pluhm] / plʌm /

noun

1. the drupaceous fruit of any of several trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, having an oblong stone.

2. the tree itself.

3. any of various other trees bearing a plumlike fruit.

4. the fruit itself.

5. a sugarplum.

6. a raisin, as in a cake or pudding.

7. a deep purple varying from bluish to reddish.

8. Informal. an excellent or desirable thing, as a fine position.

   The choicest plums went to his old cronies.

9. Informal. an unanticipated large increase in money or property, as an unexpected legacy; a windfall.

   The company offered bonuses and other plums.

10. Also called displacer.  a large stone used in massive concrete construction.

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adjective

plummer, plummest

1. extremely desirable, rewarding, profitable, or the like.

   a plum job in the foreign service.

Plum ² American  

[pluhm] / plʌm /

noun

1. a city in SW Pennsylvania.

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plum ¹ British  

/ plʌm /

noun

1. a small rosaceous tree, Prunus domestica, with white flowers and an edible oval fruit that is purple, yellow, or green and contains an oval stone See also greengage damson

2. the fruit of this tree

3. a raisin, as used in a cake or pudding

4. 1. a dark reddish-purple colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a plum carpet

5. informal

   1. something of a superior or desirable kind, such as a financial bonus

   2. ( as modifier )

      a plum job

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plum ² British  

/ plʌm /

adjective

1. a variant spelling of plumb plumb plumb plumb

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Other Word Forms

• plumlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of plum

before 900; Middle English; Old English plūme (cognate with German Pflaume ) ≪ Greek proûmnon plum, proúmnē plum tree; cf. prune ¹

Explanation

A plum is a flowering fruit tree, and it's also the name of the fruit that grows on it. Plums are small, dark reddish purple, and sweet. Plums have an edible, smooth skin, juicy flesh, and a hard pit in the middle. When plums are dried, they're called prunes. The typical color of a ripe plum — a rich, purple-red shade — is also called plum. And informally, you can say that something great or desirable is plum: "I was just offered a plum role in the school play!"

Example Sentences

A plum gig at a Big Three network used to be the only way for a journalist to get the pay and prestige of a superstar.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

Sibley and Ollie Pope added 38 in 18 overs before Bamber returned to trap the latter plum lbw.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“It played into that theme with the book really well. We made a plum Tuna crudo,” says Kai.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

In the early 1980s, Craighill got the plum job of running a Paris office to generate international business for ProServ.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

“How about passing down some supplies before they’re worn plum out? How about that, sir?”

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• carrot
• cream