What does prune mean?
Prune is a versatile English word with both a concrete food meaning and a broader verb meaning. As a noun, a prune is a plum that has been dried, valued for its concentrated sweetness and commonly used in baking, preserves, and drinks such as prune juice. As a verb, to prune means to cut away unwanted branches or growth, as in gardening; by extension, it means to remove unnecessary items or reduce something, as when a budget or organization is pruned. The verb is neutral to formal and often suggests careful improvement rather than indiscriminate cutting. In informal British English, prune can also name a person regarded as ineffective. The word is especially memorable because its modern food sense came from a broader older word for a plum, while its figurative uses extend the familiar image of cutting back plant growth to describe economy and editorial selectivity.
A plum dried for preservation and commonly used in food preparations; in informal British English, it can also mean an incompetent person.
"A handful of prunes can add sweetness and texture to a stew."
The food sense is standard in British and American English. The sense meaning an incompetent or ineffective person is informal and chiefly associated with British usage.
To cut back or remove unwanted branches, growth, or parts; figuratively, to reduce or eliminate unnecessary items, costs, or content.
"We should prune the budget without reducing essential services."
This is a formal or neutral verb. Figurative uses commonly refer to budgets, organizations, lists, or written material.
The plural form refers to individual dried plums.
"She added a bowl of prunes to the breakfast table."
The word that now means a dried plum once simply meant a plum: the word's history turns an everyday fruit into a pantry staple.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does prune come from?
The English word entered Middle English from Old French prune, a borrowing of Latin prūnum, meaning a plum or plum tree. Latin prūnum is generally traced to the Greek prounon, the plum or plum tree. Over time, English narrowed the term to the dried fruit, while the verb developed from the practice of cutting back a tree or plant.
Related word forms
How prune is actually used
In its botanical and figurative uses, prune is formal or neutral and often implies deliberate reduction. The noun meaning an incompetent person is informal and more common in British English than in standard American usage.
Easily confused with prune
A prune is a dried plum, whereas a plum generally refers to the fresh fruit.