prune
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /pɹuːn/
ipa: /pɹun/
ipa: /pɹʉːn/
note: Wales, Ottawa Valley
ipa: /pɹɪu̯n/
rhymes: -uːn
Forms: form: prunes
form: pruning
form: pruned
form: pruned
form: proin
Etymology: From Middle English prunen, prounen, proinen, from Old French proignier (“to trim the feathers with the beak”), earlier prooignier. Likely influenced by Middle French rogner, Old French rooignier (“cut, trim”) (from Latin rotundo?), and possibly by Old French provainier (“provine”) (Latin propaginem? whence French provigner). The relation to the noun is thus unclear.
Senses: examples: text: A good grape grower will prune the vines once a year.
text: But poore old man, thou prun'ſt a rotten tree, / That cannot ſo much as a bloſſome yeelde
ref: c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 191:
text: Our delightful task / To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
topics: agriculture
business
horticulture
lifestyle
glosses: To remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive.
examples: text: to prune a budget, or an essay
text: taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be pruned and reformed
ref: 1605, Francis Bacon, “(please specify |book=1 or 2)”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To cut down or shorten (by the removal of unnecessary material).
examples: text: When internal dissension and a decline in popularity set in, Johnny was pruned from the Crests.
ref: 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 229:
glosses: To remove (something unnecessary) for the sake of cutting down or shortening that which it was previously part of.
topics: computer
computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
science
sciences
glosses: To remove unnecessary branches from a tree data structure.
topics: falconry
hobbies
hunting
lifestyle
glosses: to trim the feathers with the beak
examples: text: She gins her feathers fowle disfigured
Prowdly to prune, and sett on every side.
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
text: For 'tis observed of every scribbling man, / He grows a fop as fast as e'er he can; / Prunes up, and asks his oracle, the glass, / If pink or purple best become his face.
ref: 1677 (first performance), John Dryden, “Epilogue”, in All for Love: Or, The World Well Lost. A Tragedy, […], [London]: […] Tho[mas] Newcomb, for Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC:
glosses: To preen; to prepare; to dress.
Derived terms: pruning
alpha-beta pruning en