Prune
Noun
Definition: A dried plum.
Synonyms: Dried plum
Antonyms: Fresh plum
- I love snacking on prunes.
- The recipe calls for prunes as an ingredient.
- Think of the dried plum wrinkling up like a prune.
Verb
Definition: To cut off or remove excessive or unwanted parts of a tree, plant, or structure to encourage healthier growth or to shape it.
Synonyms: Trim, Clip, Cut back
Antonyms: Grow, Expand
- It's time to prune the roses before they start blooming.
- The gardener pruned the tree to improve its overall structure.
- Think of pruning as giving a tree or plant a haircut to make it healthier.
Etymology:
Middle English, from Old French 'prune', from Latin 'pruna', singular of 'prunum', from Greek 'próunos', meaning 'plum'.
Historical Usage:The word "prune" has been used to refer to dried plums since the 14th century. The verb form "prune" meaning to trim or cut back plants emerged in the 17th century.
Related Idioms:
"Prune the deadwood"
Explanation:This phrase is used metaphorically to mean getting rid of unnecessary or unproductive elements or people in a situation or organization.
Misconceptions:
Thinking of "prune" only as a dried plum and not as a verb meaning to trim or cut back plants.
Explanation:"Prune" has multiple meanings and is commonly used as a verb in gardening and landscaping contexts.