| 释义 |
▪ I. pruning, vbl. n.1 arch.|ˈpruːnɪŋ|
Forms: see prune v.1
[See -ing1.]
The action of prune v.1; preening. a. Of birds.
c1450[see prune v.1 A. α]. 1486Bk. St. Albans A vj, An hawke wolde not be letted of hir proynyng. 1555Digges Prognost. B ij b, If they busy them selues in proyning or washing..looke for rayne. 1611Cotgr., Onction feable, the pruining, or annointing which a Hawke giues her feathers, by the moisture she sucks from her Crupper.
b. Of a person: see prune v.1 2.
1588Kyd Househ. Phil. Wks. (1901) 256 Those [women] that are faire with that filthy spunging, proigning, painting, and pollishing themselues. a1652A. Wilson Inconstant Ladie ii. ii, Your prunings, paintings, and bare necks.
c. concr. fig. from use in Falconry.
a1625Fletcher Love's Pilgr. iii. ii, Dare she think..My love so fond..That I must take her prewnings: stoop at that sh'has tyr'd upon?
▪ II. ˈpruning, vbl. n.2
Forms: see prune v.2
[f. prune v.2 + -ing1.]
The action of prune v.2
1. a. Of plants: see prune v.2 1.
1548Elyot Dict., Castratio arborum, the ofte cuttyng or prunyng of trees. 1615W. Lawson Country Housew. Gard. (1626) 6 Trees..loaden with wood, for want of proyning. 1706London & Wise Retir'd Gard. I. 108 Pruning makes a tree look handsome. 1858Glenny Gard. Everyday Bk. 50/2 Pruning is better done in the latter months of the year, when the leaves have fallen. 1941P. P. Pirone Maintenance of Shade & Ornamental Trees v. 58 Proper and systematic pruning helps trees better to withstand adverse environmental conditions. 1972G. E. Brown (title) The pruning of trees, shrubs and conifers.
b. concr. (pl.) Portions cut off in pruning.
1832Planting 4 in Libr. Usef. Knowl., Husb. III, Affording a quicker return of profit in prunings and thinnings. 1884Roe Nat. Ser. Story vii, The prunings of the shrubbery.
2. fig.: see prune v.2 3.
a1603Queen Elizabeth in Nichols Progr. Q. Eliz. (1823) I. 10, I plucke up the goodlisome herbs of sentences by pruning. 1625Bacon Ess., Studies (Arb.) 9 Naturall Abilities are like Naturall Plants, that need Proyning by Study. 1907Nation (N.Y.) 23 Nov. 271/1 The prunings and chastenings of his fancy. a1930D. H. Lawrence Last Poems (1932) 289 Humanity needs pruning. 1969Listener 6 Mar. 322/1 It is a surprise to find the Lyric Symphony..a highly charged, expansive outpouring in seven longish movements of which the first three could themselves do with some pruning. 1970T. Lupton Managem. & Social Sci. (ed. 2) ii. 47 A drastic alteration of working practices and some pruning of manpower. 1971Nature 16 July 206/2 If a second edition is prepared, the editors would do well to perform some judicious pruning.
3. attrib. and Comb., esp. in the name of tools or implements used in pruning, as pruning-bill, pruning-chisel, pruning-saw, pruning-scissors, pruning-shears, pruning-hook, -knife.
c1586C'tess Pembroke Ps. lxxx. iii, Thou..Nor planting care didst slack, nor pruning paines. 1822Loudon Encycl. Gard. 319 The Pruning-Bill is generally a hooked blade..attached to a handle of from one to four feet in length. Ibid., The Pruning-Saw is a blade of steel, serrated in what is called the double manner on one side. Ibid. 320 The Pruning-Shears differ from the common sort, in having a moveable centre for the motion of one of the blades, by which means, instead of a crushing-cut, they make a draw-cut.
▪ III. ˈpruning, ppl. a.
[f. prune v.2 + -ing2.]
That prunes (lit. or fig.): see prune v.2
1649G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. IV cccxxv, Soe stands the vineyard of Humanitye..Where pruneing Lawes lye by. a1845Barham Cousin Nicholas iv, Under the pruning and training hand of a skilful master. |