prune
1[ proon ]
/ prun /
noun
a variety of plum that dries without spoiling.
such a plum when dried.
any plum.
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Origin of prune
11300–50; late Middle English <Middle French <Latin prūna, plural (taken as feminine singular) of prūnum plum <Greek proû(m)nonplum
Definition 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
21400–50; late Middle English prouynen<Middle French proognier to prune (vines), variant of provigner, derivative of provain scion (<Latin propāgin-, stem of propāgō;see propagate)
OTHER WORDS FROM prune
prun·a·ble, adjectiveprun·a·bil·i·ty, nounpruner, nounun·prun·a·ble, adjectiveDefinition 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for prune
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
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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.