Prune

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pɹuːn/
• Rhymes: -uːn

From Old French prune, from Latin prūnum, from Ancient Greek προῦνον, variant of προῦμνον (proumnon, "plum"), a loanword from a language of Asia Minor.

Full definition of prune

Noun

1. (obsolete) A plum.
2. The dried, wrinkled fruit of certain species of plum.
3. (slang) An old woman, especially a wrinkly one.

Synonyms

• see

Derived terms

• German prune
• prune tree
• pruney
• South African prune

From Old French proignier ("to trim the feathers with the beak"), earlier prooignier, ultimately from Latin pro- ("front") + rotundus ("round") 'to round-off the front'.

Verb

1. (transitive) To remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive.A good grape grower will prune his vines once a year.
• MiltonOur delightful task
  To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To cut down or shorten (by the removal of unnecessary material).to prune a budget, or an essay
• Francis Bacontaking into consideration how they laws are to be pruned and reformed
3. (obsolete) To preen; to prepare; to dress.
• ShakespeareHis royal bird
  Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak.

Derived terms

• pruning
• alpha-beta pruning

Anagrams

• Perun