prune
1[ proon ]
/ prun /
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noun
a variety of plum that dries without spoiling.
such a plum when dried.
any plum.
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Origin of prune
1First 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 ]
/ prun /
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
2First recorded in 1400–50; 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, adjectiveprun·a·bil·i·ty, nounpruner, nounun·prun·a·ble, adjectiveOther definitions for prune (3 of 3)
prune3
[ proon ]
/ prun /
verb (used with object), pruned, prun·ing.
Archaic. to preen.
Origin of prune
3OTHER WORDS FROM prune
prun·a·ble, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use prune in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for prune (1 of 3)
prune1
/ (pruːn) /
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
British Dictionary definitions for prune (2 of 3)
prune2
/ (pruːn) /
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 forms of prune
prunable, adjectivepruner, nounWord 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
British Dictionary definitions for prune (3 of 3)
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.