prune

1 of 2

noun

ˈprün 

: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation

prune

2 of 2

verb

pruned; pruning

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

pruner noun

Synonyms

Verb

• bob
• clip
• crop
• cut
• cut back
• dock
• lop (off)
• nip
• pare
• poll
• shave
• shear
• snip
• trim

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

In areas with freezing winters, prune in February or March before new shoots and leaves develop. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025

The heritage orchard, a 14-acre plot of land sandwiched between the Saratoga Library and city hall, is a working orchard with hundreds of apricot, prunes and cherry trees that city officials preserved years ago as a way to recognize the region’s agricultural origins. —Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2025

Verb

Not all hollies tolerate such severe pruning well, so make sure to check if your type of holly can be pruned this way before attempting it. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025

Mature shrubs that have not been severely pruned will often bloom in February. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for prune

• boon
• brune
• coon
• croon
• dune
• goon
• hewn
• hoon
• june
• loon
• moon
• noon

Kids Definition

prune

1 of 2 noun

ˈprün 

: a dried plum

prune

2 of 2 verb

pruned; pruning

1

a

: to reduce by getting rid of matter that is not necessary or wanted

prune an essay

prune a budget

b

: to remove as unnecessary

2

: to cut off the parts of a woody plant that are dead or not wanted

prune the hedge

pruner noun

Medical Definition

prune

noun

ˈprün 

: a plum dried or capable of drying without fermentation and often used as a food and as a mild laxative