often attributive
1
: any of various trees and shrubs (genus Prunus) of the rose family with globular to oval smooth-skinned edible fruits that are drupes with oblong seeds
also : the fruit
2
: any of various trees with edible fruits resembling plums
also : the fruit
3
a
: a raisin when used in desserts
b
4
: something superior or very desirable
especially : something desirable given in return for a favor
5
: a dark reddish purple
plumlike adjective

Examples of plum in a Sentence

a bowl of peaches and plums Dried plums are also called “prunes.” That deal is a real plum for the contractor.
Recent Examples on the Web Isaac’s were stuffed with jellyfish and plum, mine with mustard greens and salmon flakes. Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 Snag it in a khaki color that’s similar to Oprah’s dress or nine other shades like green, plum, and black. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 The nose leads with cotton candy grapes, plum, and orange. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 Coppola accepted the award from presenters Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins (who’d won his own Oscar earlier in the evening) while wearing a Marc Jacobs floor-length plum gown, and was truly all smiles. Randee Dawn, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Crisp aromas bulging with red fruit that includes plums. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 In this candle, aptly named Bibliothèque, the velvety quality of paper is embodied in touches of peach, plum, vanilla and patchouli. Anna Tingley, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024 Note: Sloes are a type of drupe (a stone fruit that is not a plum nor a berry) that tastes a lot like a cherry. Jeff Burkhart, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 Created by Chanel nail artist Betina Goldstein, Abrams nails rocked CHANEL Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Oiseau de Nuit; a rich, deep plum hue, to complement her look. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English plūme, modification of Latin prunum plum, from Greek proumnon

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plum was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near plum

Cite this Entry

“Plum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plum. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

plum

noun
1
a
: any of numerous trees and shrubs related to the peach and cherries and having globe-shaped to oval edible fruits with an oblong stone
b
: the smooth-skinned fruit of a plum
2
: a raisin when used in desserts (as puddings or cake)
3
: something very desirable
4
: a dark reddish purple
plumlike adjective

Geographical Definition

Plum

geographical name

borough in southwestern Pennsylvania that is a suburb of Pittsburgh population 27,126

More from Merriam-Webster on plum

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