A Prune Is a Plum, and Pruning Is Something Else
A prune is a dried plum. The gardening verb to prune has a completely separate origin.
A prune is a dried plum, and to prune is to cut back the branches of a plant. The two are unrelated. The fruit comes through French *prune* from Latin *prunum*, a plum; the gardening verb comes from Old French *proignier*, probably from a phrase meaning to cut round. The fruit industry has been quietly retreating from the word: California growers rebranded prunes as *dried plums* in the early 2000s to shake off the association with age and constipation.
- A dried plum. *A box of prunes.*
- To cut back a plant. *Prune the roses.*
- To trim generally. *Prune the budget.*
- Dried plum — the modern marketing name. *Dried plums.*
- Latin — *prunum*, a plum. *Fruit source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | prune | A prune. |
| Plural | prunes | Prunes. |
| Verb | prune | Prune it. |
| Noun | pruning | Pruning. |
| Tool | pruners | Pruning shears. |
- Prunes are simply dried plums.Food.
- Prune the apple tree in winter.Gardening.
- They pruned the guest list.Figurative.
Same spelling, separate words
- Prune (fruit) — from Latin *prunum*, a plum
- Prune (cut) — from Old French *proignier*, to trim
- Plum — the same Latin word arriving through Old English
- Prunella — a fabric and a plant, both from the plum colour
- Prune juice — from the fruit, obviously, not the verb
Old French *prune*, from Latin *prunum*, a plum. The verb is from Old French *proignier*, to cut back.
Are prune the fruit and prune the verb related?
No. The fruit comes from Latin prunum, a plum; the verb comes from an unrelated Old French word for trimming.
Why are prunes sold as dried plums?
California growers rebranded them in the early 2000s to escape the word's association with old age.