Prune \Prune\, v. i. To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

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. [1913 Webster]

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 (Prunus domestica), which produces prunes.
   (b) The West Indian tree, Prunus occidentalis.

South African prune (Bot.), the edible fruit of a sapindaceous tree (Pappea Capensis). [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

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. [1913 Webster]

Taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be pruned and reformed. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

Our delightful task To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

2. To cut off or cut out, as useless parts. [1913 Webster]

Horace will our superfluous branches prune. --Waller. [1913 Webster]

3. To preen; to prepare; to dress. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

His royal bird Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

141 Moby Thesaurus words for "prune": abbreviate, abridge, abscind, abstract, amputate, annihilate, ax, backset, ban, bar, bisect, blockhead, bob, boil down, brash, butcher, capsulize, carve, chop, chump, cleave, clip, compress, condense, contract, crop, cull, cultivate, culture, curtail, cut, cut away, cut back, cut down, cut in two, cut off, cut off short, cut out, cut short, delve, dichotomize, dig, dimwit, dissever, dock, dolt, dope, dress, dumbbell, elide, eliminate, enucleate, epitomize, eradicate, except, excise, exclude, extinguish, extirpate, fallow, fertilize, fissure, force, foreshorten, gash, hack, halve, harrow, hew, hoe, idiot, ignoramus, incise, isolate, jigsaw, knock off, lance, list, lop, moron, mow, mulch, mutilate, nip, pare, peel, pick out, plow, poll, pollard, rake, reap, recap, recapitulate, reduce, rend, retrench, rive, root out, rule out, saw, scissor, set apart, set aside, sever, shave, shear, shorten, skive, slash, slice, slit, snip, snub, spade, split, stamp out, strike off, strip, strip off, stunt, sum up, summarize, sunder, synopsize, take in, take off, take out, tear, telescope, thin, thin out, till, till the soil, trim, truncate, weed, weed out, whittle, wipe out, work

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

prune

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Prune \Prune\, v. i. To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt. --Dryden.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

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).

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)