prune

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈprün 

: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation

prune

2 of 3

verb

pruned; pruning

transitive verb

1

a

: to reduce especially by eliminating superfluous matter

pruned the text

prune the budget

b

: to remove as superfluous

prune away all ornamentation

2

: to cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth

prune the branches

intransitive verb

: to cut away what is unwanted or superfluous

pruner noun

pruner

3 of 3

noun (2)

prun·​er

ˈprünə(r)

plural -s

: one that prunes: such as

a

: a worker employed to prune dead and excess branches from trees

b

: a tool for use in pruning operations

c

: any of several beetles whose larvae gnaw the branches of trees so as to cause them to fall

especially : oak pruner

Synonyms of prune

Verb

• shave
• cut
• trim
• mow

Examples of prune in a Sentence

Verb

She carefully pruned the hedge.

Those trees need to be pruned every year.

The students were asked to prune their essays.

The budget needs to be pruned.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Think silky crème caramel with boozy prunes, strawberry Bakewell with clotted cream, or a velvety dark‑chocolate mousse cake—best finished with a glass of 20‑year‑old Tawny port from Portugal’s ‘River of Gold’. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Some things — Shar Peis, linen pants, prunes — are just supposed to have wrinkles. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 June 2026

Verb

Most plants should be pruned in the fall when the weather is cool. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2026

Keep the plant in check by pruning suckers that develop between where a leaf meets the main stem. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, plum, from Latin prunum — more at plum

Verb

Middle English prouynen, probably ultimately from Old French prooignier, alteration of *porrooignier, from por- completely (from Latin pro-) + rooignier to cut, prune, from Vulgar Latin *rotundiare to cut around, from Latin rotundus round — more at pro-, rotund

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1584, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for prune

• boon
• brune
• coon
• croon
• dune
• goon
• hewn
• hoon
• june
• loon
• moon
• noon

Kids Definition

prune

1 of 2 noun

ˈprün 

: a dried plum

prune

2 of 2 verb

pruned; pruning

1

a

: to reduce by getting rid of matter that is not necessary or wanted

prune an essay

prune a budget

b

: to remove as unnecessary

2

: to cut off the parts of a woody plant that are dead or not wanted

prune the hedge

pruner noun

Medical Definition

prune

noun

ˈprün 

: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation and often used as a food and as a mild laxative