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

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 The real nutritious surprise is what’s inside: prunes. — Patricia Bannan, Fox News, "10 desserts you won't believe are actually healthy," 8 Mar. 2018 Taking a fiber supplement or drinking a glass of prune juice can also help. — New York Times, "4 Simple Tips to Stay Healthy on Your Next Trip," 7 June 2018 The chocolate tart’s brownie-like texture was touched with smoke and the earthy kiss of beet-prune jam. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "At Cadence, bold new culinary talents cook with the seasons," 1 June 2018 As the plant matures, prune to eliminate scraggly stems. — Arricca Sansone, Country Living, "How to Grow Clematis," 24 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Get trees pruned by a pro to eliminate the threat and prevent unsightly debris from piling up. — Wire Services, The Seattle Times, "10 items to check off your fall home to-do list," 15 Oct. 2018 For example, General Motors Vortec V6 was just a small-block V8, lightly pruned. — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, "Straight From the Grave: An Iconic Engine Design Makes a Comeback," 21 Aug. 2018 Thinning your trees by pruning may increase the sunlight enough to improve the growth of the lawn. — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Lawn thinning out beneath a cluster of trees? Too much shade could be wreaking havoc," 10 July 2018 When pruning a mature vine, remove about 70 percent of the wood that grew last season. — Kym Pokorny, OregonLive.com, "Growing kiwi in Oregon requires care, attention," 2 May 2018 Soft Caress is not a high maintenance plant, pruning out any old ugly or damaged canes as needed or to encourage new young shoots and bushiness. — Norman Winter, idahostatesman, "Soft Caress mahonia magically blooms, bringing in the honeybees | Idaho Statesman," 31 Jan. 2018 McGillivray and Zhou have a few recommendations: Answering the door for the Seamless delivery man (and looking perfectly respectable while doing so), pruning your bonsai, or cooking paella. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "Is This the Comfiest Robe Ever? Introducing Offhours, and Their Wearable Duvet," 19 Oct. 2018 To harvest, clip the eggplants off the plant with pruning shears, keeping the cap and about 1 inch of stem intact. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "The Secret to Growing the Most Flavorful Eggplants," 27 July 2018 The festival was pruned down to just one night this year, though the producers have not yet discussed the reasons for the apparent reduction. — Doug Maccash, NOLA.com, "Bayou Country Superfest 2018 stars George Strait, May 27," 18 May 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