pruning

American  

[proo-ning] / ˈpru nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or practice of cutting or lopping off undesired twigs, branches, or roots.

   Some pruning of your tea roses during the summer is useful to encourage growth and flowers.

2. the act or practice of getting rid of undesirable elements or excess.

   You can do this pruning of emails for an hour a day till you're down to an empty inbox.

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Etymology

Origin of pruning

First recorded in 1540–50; prun(e) ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Companies are pruning underperforming legacy brands and doubling down on faster-growing categories.

From Barron's

Unilever said on Monday that it will focus on producing condiments and other packaged products to "sharpen" its catalogue of goods, which will mean "pruning the portfolio where relevant".

From BBC

Earlier studies have found that it can reduce inflammation in brain cells and affect synaptic pruning -- a normal developmental process in which the brain trims and strengthens neural connections.

From Science Daily

In El Segundo, crews were repairing roads, pruning trees, schools were in session.

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