prune
prune Lexical Profile
prune Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A dried plum, often eaten as a snack, used in cooking, or consumed for its digestive benefits.
"She added chopped prunes and nuts to the oatmeal for extra fiber and sweetness."
(Informal) An irritable, disagreeable, or unappealing person, particularly an older individual.
"The neighborhood children were afraid of the old prune who lived at the end of the street and constantly yelled at them."
• verb
To trim a tree, shrub, or bush by cutting away dead or overgrown branches to promote healthy growth and shape.
"The gardener pruned the rosebushes in early spring to ensure they would bloom beautifully in the summer."
To reduce the size, extent, or cost of something by removing unwanted or superfluous parts.
"The editor carefully pruned the manuscript, cutting out repetitive paragraphs to improve the narrative pace."
• Rhymes for prune
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun derives from Old French 'prune', from Latin 'prunum' (plum). The identically spelled verb has a distinct origin: from Old French 'proignier' (to trim or prune), deriving from a combination of Latin 'pro-' and 'rotundus' (round).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.