prune
(pruːn )
Word forms: prunes , pruning , pruned
1. countable noun B2
A prune is a dried plum.
2. verb [Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
When you prune a tree or bush, you cut off some of the branches so that it will grow better the next year.
You have to prune a bush if you want fruit. [VERB noun]
There is no best way to prune. [VERB]
Synonyms: cut, trim, clip, dock
Prune back means the same as prune.
Apples, pears and cherries can be pruned back when they've lost their leaves. [be VERB-ed PARTICLE]
3. verb
If you prune something, you cut out all the parts that you do not need.
Firms are cutting investment and pruning their product ranges. [VERB noun]
Prune back means the same as prune.
The company has pruned back its workforce by 20,000 since 1989. [VERB PARTICLE noun]
Phrasal verbs:
prune back
Image of prune
© Sailorr, Shutterstock
Collocations:
prune a plant prune a rose prune a tree prune hard
You can prune the plant quite hard after flowering and it will have a season to recover and flower the following year.
The Sun
Prune your plant in stages to reduce this.
The Sun
To get the best flower display, prune the plant in summer about two months after flowering, and again in late winter.
The Sun
Tarring wounds after pruning a plant of dead or old leaves can also reduce the probability of infestation.
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Only he knows the correct ingredients for a cassoulet or how to prune roses.
Times, Sunday Times
Next prune the roses and divide up big clumps of summer border flowers, including day lilies, hostas, michaelmas daisies and perennial rudbeckia.
The Sun
Prune roses to prevent wind rock in a squall, and make a start on pruning apple and pear trees.
Times, Sunday Times
Go on, buy the album - then he can pay someone to prune the roses.
Times, Sunday Times
Some people like to prune their roses hard every year to get the freshest, longest wands of foliage, but that reduces the number of flowers and hips.
Times, Sunday Times
Being bored makes you do stuff: think, talk, prune a tree, read a book, sort out the pan cupboard.
Times, Sunday Times
It can teach me how to play the guitar, or prune a tree.
Times, Sunday Times
Polite requests to the neighbour to prune the tree have been ignored.
Times, Sunday Times
If you're over the age of 75, don't climb up a ladder in the pouring rain to prune a tree or clean the leaves out of a gutter.
Times, Sunday Times
The best time to prune the tree would be in the fall when the tree will be most dry.
Retrieved from Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Prune hard to remove damaged growth, feed well and keep watered to help the plants recover if still alive.
The Sun
Prune hard (to 30cm) for big blooms on thick stems or lighter (37-45cm) for more, smaller flowers on thinner stems.
The Sun
Prune hard in early spring, to keep the shrub compact and encourage plenty of flowers on the new growth.
Times, Sunday Times
Prune hard in late winter at least every other year to keep the colour of the younger stems going nicely.
Times, Sunday Times
If you prune hard every year, the plants will remain tightly compact and floriferous.
Times, Sunday Times
Translations:
Chinese: 梅干
Japanese: プルーン