plum

noun, often attributive \ ˈpləm \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of plum

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 : sugarplum

4 : something superior or very desirable; especially : something desirable given in return for a favor

5 : a dark reddish purple

—

plumlike

play \ˈpləm-ˌlīk\ adjective

See plum defined for English-language learners

See plum defined for kids

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 of plum from the Web

Skin-care ingredients inspire a lot of passionate debate (one minute your feed is blowing up about coconut, the next it’s Kakadu plum).

— Vogue, "The Star Exfoliating Ingredient That Will Give You Baby Skin," 6 July 2018
This 100 percent varietal offers notes of violets, blackberry, plum, dark cherry, pencil shavings, raspberry and incense.

— michael austin, chicagotribune.com, "Explore Michigan's diverse wine scene, one of the country's most exciting developing regions," 5 July 2018
Next up are upgrades to the guestrooms, where the current brown color scheme will be replaced with plum, silver, sage and gold accents.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "The Biltmore Hotel is transforming for the 21st century. You won't recognize the rooms.," 27 June 2018
On her eyes, Rihanna went for a dark plum smokey eye that perfectly set off the bright pink lips and gave a bit of dark drama to the holy outfit.

— melissa minton, Allure, "Every Fenty Beauty Product Rihanna Wore at the 2018 Met Gala," 8 May 2018
Dahlia is a rich berry, Foxglove is a muted plum, Camellia is a petal pink, Snapdragon is a rosy pink, and Tigerlily is a tropical coral shade that would be best worn sipping cocktails under a cabana or at your locker à laLil’ Mama.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "Becca’s New Lip Glosses Are As Glowy As Your Favorite Highlighter," 10 Apr. 2018
The plum crazy purple exterior is matched in allure by the 375-horsepower motor.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "You can buy Adam Vinatieri's 1971 Dodge Charger," 3 Apr. 2018
Prism is a featherlight, essence-like elixir, made with all-natural fruit acids (malic acid from apple, salicylic acid from willow bark, glycolic acid from bilberry, vitamin C from kakadu plum, and orange peel) to gently exfoliate the skin.

— sarah kinonen, Allure, "Herbivore Botanicals' New Prism Exfoliating Glow Potion Is the Prettiest Serum of the Summer," 12 July 2018
The slice is then coated with raw sugar and a mix of plum and elderflower vinegar so it can be quickly heated to create a glass-like coating.

— michael bauer, SFChronicle.com, "Sorrel off to a stellar start in Pacific Heights," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of plum

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

plum Synonyms

Synonyms

catch, gem, jewel, pearl, prize, treasure;

Near Antonyms

lemon, loser;

booty, loot, plunder, spoil, swag;

brass ring;

glory, pride;

gold, jackpot, prize money, treasure trove;

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

Plum

geographical name \ ˈpləm \

Definition of Plum

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

PLUM Defined for English Language Learners

plum

noun

Definition of plum for English Language Learners

: a round, juicy fruit that has red or purple skin, sweet yellow flesh, and a hard seed at the center
: something that many people want or think is very good
: a dark reddish-purple color