prune

[proon]

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verb (used with object), pruned, prun·ing.

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

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

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

to remove (anything considered superfluous or undesirable).

Origin of prune

1400–50; late Middle English prouynen < Middle French proognier to prune (vines), variant of provigner, derivative of provain scion (< Latin propāgin-, stem of propāgō; see propagate)

Related formsprun·a·ble, adjectiveprun·a·bil·i·ty, nounprun·er, nounun·prun·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for pruner

scissors

Examples from the Web for pruner

Historical Examples of pruner

The height of the trunk usually depends on the whims of the pruner.
The Pears of New York
U. P. Hedrick
The pruner should not only know why he prunes, but how the work should be done.
Cornell Nature-Study Leaflets
Various
Pruner of coconut trees, sir, and servant of my mother-in-law.
The Social Cancer
Jos Rizal
The pruner should leave enough spurs to supply all the fruit buds that the vine can utilize.
Manual of American Grape-Growing
U. P. Hedrick
The pruner has used two of the strongest canes to form two three-bud spurs and three of medium vigor to form three two-bud spurs.
Manual of American Grape-Growing
U. P. Hedrick

British Dictionary definitions for pruner

prune

noun

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

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

Word Origin for prune

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

prune

verb

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

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

Derived Formsprunable, adjectivepruner, noun

Word Origin for prune

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

prune

verb

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

Word Origin and History for pruner

prune

mid-14c., "a plum," also "a dried plum" (c.1200 in place name Prunhill), from Old French pronne "plum" (13c.), from Vulgar Latin *pruna, fem. singular formed from Latin pruna, neuter plural of prunum "a plum," by dissimilation from Greek proumnon, from a language of Asia Minor. Slang meaning "disagreeable or disliked person" is from 1895. Prune juice is from 1807.

prune

early 15c., prouyne, from Old French proignier "cut back (vines), prune" (Modern French provigner), of unknown origin. Perhaps [Watkins] from Gallo-Romance *pro-retundiare "cut in a rounded shape in front," from pro- "forth" (see pro-) + *retundiare "round off," from Latin rotundus (see round (adj.)). Klein suggests the Old French word is from provain "layer of a vine," from Latin propago (cf. prop (n.1)).

Or the Middle English word might be identical with the falconry term proinen, proynen "trim the feather with the beak" (late 14c.), source of preen [Barnhart]. Related: Pruned; pruning. Pruning hook is from 1610s; pruning knife from 1580s.

Idioms and Phrases with pruner

prune

see full of beans, def. 2.