'Prune' definitions:
Definition of 'prune'
From: WordNet
noun
Dried plum
verb
Cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of; "dress the plants in the garden" [syn: snip, clip, crop, trim, lop, dress, prune, cut back]
verb
Weed out unwanted or unnecessary things; "We had to lose weight, so we cut the sugar from our diet" [syn: cut, prune, rationalize, rationalise]
Definition of 'Prune'
From: GCIDE
- Prune \Prune\, v. i. To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Prune'
From: GCIDE
- Prune \Prune\, n. [F. prune, from L. prunum a plum. See Plum.] A plum; esp., a dried plum, used in cookery; as, French or Turkish prunes; California prunes. [1913 Webster]
- German prune (Bot.), a large dark purple plum, of oval shape, often one-sided. It is much used for preserving, either dried or in sirup.
- Prune tree. (Bot.) (a) A tree of the genus Prunus (Prunus domestica), which produces prunes. (b) The West Indian tree, Prunus occidentalis.
- South African prune (Bot.), the edible fruit of a sapindaceous tree (Pappea Capensis). [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Prune'
From: GCIDE
- Prune \Prune\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pruned; p. pr. & vb. n. Pruning.] [OE. proine, probably fr. F. provigner to lay down vine stocks for propagation; hence, probably, the meaning, to cut away superfluous shoots. See Provine.]
- 1. To lop or cut off the superfluous parts, branches, or shoots of; to clear of useless material; to shape or smooth by trimming; to trim: as, to prune trees; to prune an essay. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]
- Taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be pruned and reformed. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
- Our delightful task To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To cut off or cut out, as useless parts. [1913 Webster]
- Horace will our superfluous branches prune. --Waller. [1913 Webster]
- 3. To preen; to prepare; to dress. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
- His royal bird Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'prune'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abbreviate,
- abridge,
- abscind,
- abstract,
- amputate,
- annihilate,
- ax,
- backset,
- ban,
- bar,
- bisect,
- blockhead,
- bob,
- boil down,
- brash,
- butcher,
- capsulize,
- carve,
- chop,
- chump,
- cleave,
- clip,
- compress,
- condense,
- contract,
- crop,
- cull,
- cultivate,
- culture,
- curtail,
- cut,
- cut away,
- cut back,
- cut down,
- cut in two,
- cut off,
- cut off short,
- cut out,
- cut short,
- delve,
- dichotomize,
- dig,
- dimwit,
- dissever,
- dock,
- dolt,
- dope,
- dress,
- dumbbell,
- elide,
- eliminate,
- enucleate,
- epitomize,
- eradicate,
- except,
- excise,
- exclude,
- extinguish,
- extirpate,
- fallow,
- fertilize,
- fissure,
- force,
- foreshorten,
- gash,
- hack,
- halve,
- harrow,
- hew,
- hoe,
- idiot,
- ignoramus,
- incise,
- isolate,
- jigsaw,
- knock off,
- lance,
- list,
- lop,
- moron,
- mow,
- mulch,
- mutilate,
- nip,
- pare,
- peel,
- pick out,
- plow,
- poll,
- pollard,
- rake,
- reap,
- recap,
- recapitulate,
- reduce,
- rend,
- retrench,
- rive,
- root out,
- rule out,
- saw,
- scissor,
- set apart,
- set aside,
- sever,
- shave,
- shear,
- shorten,
- skive,
- slash,
- slice,
- slit,
- snip,
- snub,
- spade,
- split,
- stamp out,
- strike off,
- strip,
- strip off,
- stunt,
- sum up,
- summarize,
- sunder,
- synopsize,
- take in,
- take off,
- take out,
- tear,
- telescope,
- thin,
- thin out,
- till,
- till the soil,
- trim,
- truncate,
- weed,
- weed out,
- whittle,
- wipe out,
- work