prune

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The partially dried fruit of any of several varieties of the common plum, Prunus domestica.
2. n. Any kind of plum that can be dried without spoiling.
3. n. Slang An ill-tempered, stupid, or incompetent person.
4. v. Slang To make a facial expression exhibiting ill temper or disgust: "Their faces prune at the slightest provocation” ( James Wolcott).
5. v. To cut off or remove dead or living parts or branches of (a plant, for example) to improve shape or growth.
6. v. To remove or cut out as superfluous.
7. v. To reduce: prune a budget.
8. v. To remove what is superfluous or undesirable.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A plum; in recent usage (especially in the western United States), a plum-suitable to be dried as a prune.
2. n. The dried fruit of one of several varieties of the common plum-tree. The most highly reputed prunes are produced in the valley of the Loire, from the St. Julien and other varieties of plum, the very finest being known as French plums. there is a large and increasing production of prunes in California. the variety of plum chiefly grown for that purpose being identical or nearly so with that employed in France, while the myrobalan variety is the accepted grafting stock. Prunes are produced also in Spain and Portugal. German prunes are largely produced, though of second quality. Bosnia and Servia export large quantities. Prunes are stewed as a sauce, or otherwise prepared, and are valued for their nutritious, demulcent, and laxative properties.
3. To lop superfluous twigs or branches from (a vine, bush, or tree); trim with a knife.
4. To lop off as superfluous or injurious; remove by cutting.
5. To clear from anything superfluous: remove what is superfluous or objectionable from.
6. To dress or trim, as birds their feathers; preen: also used figuratively.
7. To lop off superfluous twigs or branches, as from a vine, bush, or tree.
8. To arrange or dress the feathers with the bill: said of birds, and also used figuratively.

Wiktionary

1. n. A plum.
2. n. The dried, wrinkled fruit of certain species of plum.
3. n. An old woman, especially a wrinkly one.
4. v. To remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive.
5. v. To cut down or shorten (by the removal of unnecessary material); as, to prune a budget.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. 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.
2. v. To cut off or cut out, as useless parts.
3. v. To preen; to prepare; to dress.
4. v. To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt.
5. n. A plum; esp., a dried plum, used in cookery

WordNet 3.0

1. n. dried plum
2. v. weed out unwanted or unnecessary things
3. v. cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of