Hypertext Webster Gateway: "prune"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
Taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be
pruned and reformed. --Bacon.
Our delightful task To prune these growing plants,
and tend these flowers. --Milton.
2. To cut off or cut out, as useless parts.
Horace will our superfluous branches prune.
--Waller.
3. To preen; to prepare; to dress. --Spenser.
His royal bird Prunes the immortal wing and cloys
his beak. --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Prune \Prune\, v. i.
To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt.
--Dryden.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
{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} ({P. domestica}), which
produces prunes.
(b) The West Indian tree, {Prunus occidentalis}.
{South African prune} (Bot.), the edible fruit of a
sapindaceous tree ({Pappea Capensis}).
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
prune
n : dried plum
v 1: cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of "dress the
plants in the garden" [syn: {snip}, {clip}, {crop}, {trim},
{lop}, {dress}, {cut back}]
2: weed out unwanted or unnecessary things; "We had to lose
weight, so we cut the sugar from our diet" [syn: {cut}, {rationalize},
{rationalise}]
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