Prune
verb
To cut off or remove dead or living parts or branches of (a plant, for example) to improve shape or growth.
She pruned the rose bush to encourage it to grow.
Often appears as...
- prune back
- prune off
noun
A dried plum, usually of a variety that can be dried without fermenting.
She added several prunes to her oatmeal for a sweet and healthy breakfast.
Often appears as...
- eat a prune
- stewed prunes
verb
To reduce (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts.
The editor decided to prune the book, removing any unnecessary details or subplots.
Often appears as...
- prune down
- prune back
verb
In birds and some other animals, to groom (itself) with the beak or bill, especially to keep its feathers in orderly condition.
The crow perched on the branch began to prune its feathers.
Often appears as...
- prune feathers
- continuously prune
verb
To cut off or remove dead or living parts or branches of (a plant, for example) to improve shape or growth.
She pruned the rose bush to encourage it to grow.
Often appears as...
- prune back
- prune off
noun
A dried plum, usually of a variety that can be dried without fermenting.
She added several prunes to her oatmeal for a sweet and healthy breakfast.
Often appears as...
- eat a prune
- stewed prunes
verb
To reduce (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts.
The editor decided to prune the book, removing any unnecessary details or subplots.
Often appears as...
- prune down
- prune back
verb
In birds and some other animals, to groom (itself) with the beak or bill, especially to keep its feathers in orderly condition.
The crow perched on the branch began to prune its feathers.
Often appears as...
- prune feathers
- continuously prune
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Gardening Context
Prune is often used when talking about gardening to ensure better plant health or shape.
Could you prune the bushes next to the driveway?
Pro Tip 2/2Improvement Outcome
Use 'prune' to imply that the action will improve something, not just remove parts.
Pruning this tree will help it bear more fruit next season.
Pro Tip 1/2Gardening Context
Prune is often used when talking about gardening to ensure better plant health or shape.
Could you prune the bushes next to the driveway?
Pro Tip 2/2Improvement Outcome
Use 'prune' to imply that the action will improve something, not just remove parts.
Pruning this tree will help it bear more fruit next season.
Pro Tip 1/2Gardening Context
Prune is often used when talking about gardening to ensure better plant health or shape.
Could you prune the bushes next to the driveway?
Pro Tip 2/2Improvement Outcome
Use 'prune' to imply that the action will improve something, not just remove parts.
Pruning this tree will help it bear more fruit next season.
Never forget "Prune"
Humans forget easily. That's why you should download WordUp: Smart reminders, word games, AI practice, and much more!
Video examples
Cooling Cities By...
schools and a church so rebecca plans on reaching out to them to help address this issue but also residents in north st louis tend to have lower incomes compared to other parts of the metro area rebecca says a lot of people there can't afford to prune and remove old dying trees and if the trees are on private property
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 198 PIPE...
like pruning I suppose say if you really want to cure an area of trees like this you've got to come and pull them up by the roots or poison them and obviously you don't want to be put poisoning don't want to be putting poisoned or in the world area like this because who knows what other effects it will have so
Video examples
Why do fingers become...
but they help channel out water when it rains, lowering the risk of hydroplaning. Well, if your fingers really are like rain treads, you should be able to predict the optimal shape for them, right? So, what would the predicted wrinkle shapes be? That is, are our prunes actually the right shape
Video examples
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore:...
is thought to correspond to synaptic pruning, the elimination of unwanted synapses. This is a really important process. It's partly dependent on the environment that the animal or the human is in, and the synapses that are being used are strengthened, and synapses that aren't being used
Video examples
Can we eat to starve...
when we need a brief burst of blood vessels the body can do this by releasing stimulators proteins called angiogenic factors that act as natural fertilizer and stimulate new blood vessels to sprout and when those excess vessels are no longer needed the body prunes them back
Video examples
The mysterious workings...
really important developmental process because gray matter contains cell bodies and connections between cells the synapses and this decline in gray matter volume during prefrontal cortex is thought to correspond to synaptic pruning the elimination of unwanted
Video examples
What is bipolar...
thanks to the brain's continuous efforts to prune itself and remove unused or faulty neural connections. This process is important because our neural pathways serve as a map for everything we do. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging,
Video examples
History’s deadliest...
if they're on a shelf, the U.S. EPA warns against eating food off of them. Though we still occasionally run into issues with synthetic food dyes, our scientific understanding has helped us prune hazardous colors out of our lives.
Video examples
How to Raise Successful...
that I was going to carefully clip and prune and shape into some perfect form of a human that might just be perfect enough to warrant them admission to one of the most highly selective colleges.
Video examples
Ben Katchor's comics of...
a wealthy prune juice bottler, and consolidated to form the core collection. As an art form it lies somewhere between still-life painting and plumbing.
Video examples
Cooling Cities By...
schools and a church so rebecca plans on reaching out to them to help address this issue but also residents in north st louis tend to have lower incomes compared to other parts of the metro area rebecca says a lot of people there can't afford to prune and remove old dying trees and if the trees are on private property
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 198 PIPE...
like pruning I suppose say if you really want to cure an area of trees like this you've got to come and pull them up by the roots or poison them and obviously you don't want to be put poisoning don't want to be putting poisoned or in the world area like this because who knows what other effects it will have so
Video examples
Why do fingers become...
but they help channel out water when it rains, lowering the risk of hydroplaning. Well, if your fingers really are like rain treads, you should be able to predict the optimal shape for them, right? So, what would the predicted wrinkle shapes be? That is, are our prunes actually the right shape
Video examples
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore:...
is thought to correspond to synaptic pruning, the elimination of unwanted synapses. This is a really important process. It's partly dependent on the environment that the animal or the human is in, and the synapses that are being used are strengthened, and synapses that aren't being used
Video examples
Can we eat to starve...
when we need a brief burst of blood vessels the body can do this by releasing stimulators proteins called angiogenic factors that act as natural fertilizer and stimulate new blood vessels to sprout and when those excess vessels are no longer needed the body prunes them back
Video examples
The mysterious workings...
really important developmental process because gray matter contains cell bodies and connections between cells the synapses and this decline in gray matter volume during prefrontal cortex is thought to correspond to synaptic pruning the elimination of unwanted
Video examples
What is bipolar...
thanks to the brain's continuous efforts to prune itself and remove unused or faulty neural connections. This process is important because our neural pathways serve as a map for everything we do. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging,
Video examples
History’s deadliest...
if they're on a shelf, the U.S. EPA warns against eating food off of them. Though we still occasionally run into issues with synthetic food dyes, our scientific understanding has helped us prune hazardous colors out of our lives.
Video examples
How to Raise Successful...
that I was going to carefully clip and prune and shape into some perfect form of a human that might just be perfect enough to warrant them admission to one of the most highly selective colleges.
Video examples
Ben Katchor's comics of...
a wealthy prune juice bottler, and consolidated to form the core collection. As an art form it lies somewhere between still-life painting and plumbing.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Diane von Furstenberg
Belgian Designer
Clarity is the most important thing. I can compare clarity to pruning in gardening. You know, you need to be clear. If you are not clear, nothing is going to happen. You have to be clear. Then you have to be confident about your vision. And after that, you just have to put a lot of work in.
Quote examples
Groucho Marx
American Comedian
Well, Art is Art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.
Quote examples
John C. Maxwell
American Clergyman
Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That's not a guess, it's a guarantee. With pride, it's not a matter of 'if' we will fall, but 'when.' There are no exceptions.
Quote examples
Francis Bacon
English Philosopher
Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.
Quote examples
Rodney Dangerfield
American Comedian
I'm taking Viagra and drinking prune juice - I don't know if I'm coming or going.
Quote examples
Frank Lloyd Wright
American Architect
Harvard takes perfectly good plums as students, and turns them into prunes.
Quote examples
Donald Rumsfeld
American Politician
Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually.
Quote examples
Red Auerbach
American Coach
Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study.
Quote examples
Tom Peters
American Businessman
Give a lot, expect a lot, and if you don't get it, prune.
Quote examples
Bill Pullman
American Actor
I love to prune. I have a physical need to do things.
Quote examples
Diane von Furstenberg
Belgian Designer
Clarity is the most important thing. I can compare clarity to pruning in gardening. You know, you need to be clear. If you are not clear, nothing is going to happen. You have to be clear. Then you have to be confident about your vision. And after that, you just have to put a lot of work in.
Quote examples
Groucho Marx
American Comedian
Well, Art is Art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.
Quote examples
John C. Maxwell
American Clergyman
Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That's not a guess, it's a guarantee. With pride, it's not a matter of 'if' we will fall, but 'when.' There are no exceptions.
Quote examples
Francis Bacon
English Philosopher
Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.
Quote examples
Rodney Dangerfield
American Comedian
I'm taking Viagra and drinking prune juice - I don't know if I'm coming or going.
Quote examples
Frank Lloyd Wright
American Architect
Harvard takes perfectly good plums as students, and turns them into prunes.
Quote examples
Donald Rumsfeld
American Politician
Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually.
Quote examples
Red Auerbach
American Coach
Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study.
Quote examples
Tom Peters
American Businessman
Give a lot, expect a lot, and if you don't get it, prune.
Quote examples
Bill Pullman
American Actor
I love to prune. I have a physical need to do things.
Example 1 of 10
WordUp Chrome Extension
As you browse the web instantly look up words you don’t know.
Get Chrome Extension