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\ ˈprün 
\
\Definition of prune
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation
prune
verbpruned; pruning
Definition of prune (Entry 2 of 2)
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
: to cut away what is unwanted or superfluous
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Retreating to the women’s college, she would be greeted by a dinner of plain beef and sprouts, with prunes for dessert, while the male scholars were fortified by sole and partridges and bottomless goblets of wine.
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Ruth Franklin, Harper's Magazine, "Splinters and Mosaics," 25 May 2020 Diane Unger, our director of recipe development, also finds that prunes work well, giving the sauce body and depth.
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TheWeek, "Chicken en Cocotte: France's one pot solution," 17 May 2020 Mostly it’s stale white bread and mystery meat, with the occasional helping of raisins or prunes.
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Keri Blakinger The Marshall Project, ExpressNews.com, "Texas prison food has deteriorated alarmingly during the coronavirus pandemic," 11 May 2020 The best time to do a heavy-duty prune is in the spring.
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Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, "How to Prune Roses the Right Way," 7 Apr. 2020 The traditional dinner for four includes items like matzo ball soup, braised carrots with prunes, potato kugel, roast brisket and braised lamb shank, plus two desserts.
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Ramona Saviss, The Hollywood Reporter, "Where to Order Passover Seder Dishes in Los Angeles," 3 Apr. 2020 The meals range from potato bread to apricot and prune marmalade, scalloped cabbage, corn bread, bean and tomato stew, savory rice, poultry with peas, buckwheat chocolate cake, and chocolate fudge frosting.
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Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, "Cook These Quarantine-Friendly World War I Recipes," 16 Apr. 2020 Rewilders such as Cipollone and Tavone prune trees.
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Christopher Preston, The Atlantic, "Conservationists No Longer Agree on What ‘Wild’ Means," 9 Apr. 2020 That’s the right of time to get the therapeutic benefits without turning into a prune, say our pros.
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Erica Metzger, Better Homes & Gardens, "These 5 Bath Soaks Make My Evening Self-Care Ritual Even More Relaxing," 14 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The next chapters highlight what happens in the garden during each of the seasons, including what to prune and what to pick.
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Sally Peterson, oregonlive, "‘The Land Gardeners: Cut Flowers': Grow and arrange seasonal blooms at home," 30 June 2020 How to grow it: To provide a boost of confidence, choose activities that provide a quick result of their hard work, such as weeding or pruning flowers.
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Kier Holmes, National Geographic, "How gardening can teach kids life skills," 29 May 2020 At home, Voss loves puttering around her small yard, pruning her abundant foliage.
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Carolyn Said, SFChronicle.com, "Her salon shuttered, hairstylist gets help with rent from Season of Sharing," 16 May 2020 So workers took to the fields sooner than usual to begin tending the vines and pruning while wearing masks and maintaining social-distancing rules.
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Chris O’brien, Los Angeles Times, "Hold the Champagne: Pandemic, recession fears hammer traditional European products," 8 May 2020 Or just spending the next few months pruning away in the tub?
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Sarah Madaus, SELF, "9 Bath Products That Make My Tiny Tub Feel Like a Spa," 10 Apr. 2020 According to Cipollone and Tavone, pruning these apple trees provides the fragile population of Marsican bears some valuable extra calories.
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Christopher Preston, The Atlantic, "Conservationists No Longer Agree on What ‘Wild’ Means," 9 Apr. 2020 Ingenious sight gags abound, from a woman pruning a hedge with shaving cream and a razor to a board game called Security Questions.
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Judy Berman, Time, "Three Busy Debras," 25 Mar. 2020 Homeowners can do more harm than good when pruning trees.
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Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "When projects around the house need attention, should you do it yourself or hire professional help?," 19 Mar. 2020
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for prune
prune
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of prune
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a dried plum that is often cooked before it is eaten
prune
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of prune (Entry 2 of 2)
: to cut off some of the branches of (a tree or bush) so that it will grow better or look better
: to reduce (something) by removing parts that are not necessary or wanted
See the full definition for prune in the English Language Learners Dictionary
prune
noun\ ˈprün \
\Kids Definition of prune
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a dried plum
prune
verbpruned; pruning
Kids Definition of prune (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to cut off dead or unwanted parts of a bush or tree
2 : to cut out useless or unwanted parts (as unnecessary words in something written)
prune
noun\ ˈprün \
\Medical Definition of prune
: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation and often used as a food and as a mild laxative
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Time Traveler for prune
The first known use of prune was in the 14th century
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