prune

¹

[proon]

noun

1. a variety of plum that dries without spoiling.

2. such a plum when dried.

3. any plum.

prune

²

[proon]

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).

prune

³

[proon]

verb (used with object)

pruned, pruning 

1. Archaic.,  to preen.

prune

¹

/ 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

prune

²

/ 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)

prune

³

/ pruːn /

verb

1. an archaic word for preen 1

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

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; 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; propagate; 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”; pro- ¹, unguent; preen ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of prune¹

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

Origin of prune²

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

Idioms and Phrases

see full of beans, def. 2.

Example Sentences

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

Owners would have to prune trees up and away from their houses; they would need to keep their roofs clear of leaves, needles and other dead vegetation.

From Salon

Smith added that if the tree is able to push out fresh leaves, residents can prune its dead branches and leave the live ones to foster “meaningful new growth in the canopy.”

From Los Angeles Times

Crouched in cold mud under a thin Spring rain, vineyard employee Élodie Bonet snaps off unwanted vine shoots with her fingers and pruning clippers.

From BBC

Trump replied on Truth Social last week, saying he "never liked" the New Jersey rock star and calling him a talentless "old prune."

From Salon

Related Words

• cut back 
• shave 
• shear 
• shorten 
• snip