prune

[ proon ]

See synonyms for: prune pruning pruner on Thesaurus.com

noun

a variety of plum that dries without spoiling.
such a plum when dried.

any plum.

Origin of prune

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; see also plum

Other definitions for prune (2 of 3)

prune²

[ proon ]

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

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; see origin at propagate;see also rotund

Other words from prune

prun·a·ble, adjective
prun·a·bil·i·ty [proo-nuh-bil-i-tee], /ˌpru nəˈbɪl ɪ ti/, noun
prun·er, noun
un·prun·a·ble, adjective

Other definitions for prune (3 of 3)

prune³

[ proon ]

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

Archaic. to preen.

Origin of prune

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”; see origin at pro-¹, unguent;see also preen¹

Other words from prune

prun·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prune in a sentence

A fifth of Brits had never tried asparagus and even fewer had tried figs or prunes.
Brits Are Very Fussy Eaters | Emma Woolf | August 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“Turns out the prunes aren't the only flavor that result in a biohazard situation,” she wrote in April.
The Crazy Baby Food Diet | Gina Piccalo | September 22, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
Cumin, cinnamon, and tart-sweet prunes give this exotic stew North African flavor.
What to Eat: One-Pot Meals for a Busy Holiday Season | Cookstr.com | December 15, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
Two boxes of candied prunes, that's vegetables, twenty-five per cent.
The Varmint | Owen Johnson
The ripe prunes are dipped into a boiling lye to make the skin tender, then rinsed and spread in the sun a day or two.
Stories of California | Ella M. Sexton

I have already spoken of prunes, a much despised and invaluable food.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society | Upton Sinclair
With this arrangement there were no vegetables to pass, and the bread and spiced prunes were passed around without trouble.
Living on a Little | Caroline French Benton
A youthful bride on a ship full of pilgrims; a lily floating in a dish of prunes; a cloissone vase in a cargo of oil cans.
A Parody Outline of History | Donald Ogden Stewart

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

Origin of 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)

Origin of 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

Derived forms of prune

prunable, adjective
pruner, noun

British Dictionary definitions for prune (3 of 3)

prune³

/ (pruːn) /

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with prune

prune

see full of beans, def. 2.

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