prune
Word family nounprunerpruningverbprune
prune1 /pruːn/ verb [transitiveT] 1 (also prune something ↔ back)DLG to cut off some of the branches of a tree or bush to make it grow better 修剪〔树枝〕 The roses need pruning. 玫瑰需要修枝了。
2 especially British EnglishBrECUT to make something smaller by removing parts that you do not need or want 删除,删节 The company is pruning staff in order to reduce costs. 公司正在裁员以减少开支。
The original version of the text has been pruned quite a bit. 原稿被大幅删节。
prune• One of the most important discriminators between plums and prunes is what their age means to them.• Besides, it has prunes in it, did you know that?• Deep lines grooved her prune of a face.• Put the prunes in an earthenware oven dish, with the wine and enough water to cover them.• An image that captures the dichotomy of possibilities in getting older is the plum versus the prune.• The prunes were good but with three extra stones in the juice Christopher wondered who might have been there before him. Origin prune1 (1300-1400) Old French proignier, probably from
provigner “to breed plants from shoots”, from
Latin propago;
→ PROPAGATE prune2 (1300-1400) French “plum”, from Latin prunus