prune

noun

\ ˈprün

Definition of prune

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation

prune

verb

pruned; pruning

Definition of prune (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from prune Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about prune

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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

Continue adding brown sugar and cooking until all the sugar is liquid and caramelized. Pour immediately into the prepared baking dishes, over the prunes, about two tablespoons of caramel in each one. — Marley Marius, Vogue, "7 Alternative Thanksgiving Desserts from the Vogue Archive," 16 Nov. 2018 Add the garlic, capers, prunes and olives and mix to combine. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Slow Cooker Chicken Marbella," 15 Nov. 2017 The rest of the colors are deep—black, brown, prune, but very rich—and some moire, which is quite decadent but not rich in the traditional way. — Mark Holgate, Vogue, "Alessandra Facchinetti’s Incredibly Lavish Costumes for Verdi’s Don Carlo Are Operatic Couture," 27 Oct. 2018 Add the chicken, nestling it among the olives and prunes. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Slow Cooker Chicken Marbella," 15 Nov. 2017 Butter the inside of the baking dishes and place a half prune in the bottom of each one, cut side up. — Marley Marius, Vogue, "7 Alternative Thanksgiving Desserts from the Vogue Archive," 16 Nov. 2018 The prunes were a lo-fi addition to a roster of gut health aids that included fiber cubes from France, herbal teas, and various drugstore stimulants. — Julie Schott, The Cut, "If You Want Clear Skin, Look at Your Poop," 19 Mar. 2018 There are white pails full of glistening fillings, poppy seed and prune, strawberry and apricot, even bowls full of chocolate chips. — Lynn Ischay, cleveland.com, "Hamantaschen adds sweetness to Purim celebrations (photos)," 28 Feb. 2018 Drain the prunes, blot dry with paper towels, chop them, and set aside. — Adam Ried, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipes: Switch it up with lamb burgers instead of beef," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Clark recommends pruning branches so warm sunlight can pour in. — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, "What You Should Know Before Installing an Outdoor Shower," 11 Apr. 2019 Replant it immediately and prune it to compensate for roots that have been lost in the digging. — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, "Why do I have lawn runners and neighbors don’t?," 4 May 2018 Arborists and plant pathologists tell us the best times to prune oaks will be between mid-July and early February. — Courtney Ortega, star-telegram, "Here, answers to most-asked questions on rose rosette, ‘dead’ shrubs, pruning and more," 9 Feb. 2018 The justices peppered the attorneys for the parties with questions about whether the policy was a reasonable and legally sound way for the state to prune its voter lists. — Derek Hawkins, Washington Post, "Purged from voting rolls while deployed, Ohio vet demands answers," 13 Jan. 2018 Trim your herbs with pruning shears instead of tearing them off with your hands. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "How to Plant an Indoor Herb Garden," 12 Mar. 2019 Trying to control size by pruning is absolutely futile. — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, "The crape myrtle: Facts on the finest flowering shrub in the south," 21 June 2018 Pending the production of definitive research results, hedge your use of tropical milkweeds by pruning them to the ground in October when the monarchs should head south. — Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, "S.A.’s 4 best butterfly-attracting plants," 4 May 2018 Mund said growers all over seem to be late with pruning this year. — J. Harry Jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Early "bud break" a concern to local grape growers," 3 Mar. 2018

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

History and Etymology for prune

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