prune

1 of 2

noun

ˈprün 

: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation

prune

2 of 2

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

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

And in a study in April, Lee and his colleagues described a slightly more precise synapse-deleting tool called Synthetic Trogocytosis, or SynTrogo, which works by recruiting astrocytes, a type of brain cell that prunes synapses naturally. — Simon Makin, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2026

Research led by Penn State University and San Diego State University shows that eating 50 grams of prunes daily prevents the loss of total hip bone mineral density over six to 12 months. — Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 27 Oct. 2026

Verb

Caring for the earlier hybrid tea roses required a great deal of work, including fertilizing, pruning, getting rid of pests and diseases, and preparing them for winter. — Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Trim new-wood types in late winter because pruning supports stronger, fuller blooms. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

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