His royal bird Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak.
Shak.
Prune, v. i. To dress; to prink; - used humorously or in contempt.
Dryden.
Prune, n. [F. prune, from L. prunum a plum. See Plum.] A plum; esp., a
dried plum, used in cookery; as, French or Turkish prunes; California
prunes.
German prune (Bot.), a large dark purple plum, of oval shape, often
one-sided. It is much used for preserving, either dried or in sirup. --
Prune tree. (Bot.) (a) A tree of the genus Prunus (P. domestica), which
produces prunes. (b) The West Indian tree, Prunus occidentalis. --
South African prune (Bot.), the edible fruit of a sapindaceous tree
(Pappea Capensis).
||Pru*nel"la (?), n. [NL., perhaps from G. brÊune quinsy, croup.]
||(Med.) (a) Angina, or angina pectoris. (b) Thrush.
Prunella salt (Old Chem.), niter fused and cast into little balls.
{ Pru*nel"la, Pru*nel"lo, } n. [F. prunelle, probably so called from
its color resembling that of prunes. See Prune, n.] A smooth woolen
stuff, generally black, used for making shoes; a kind of lasting; --
formerly used also for clergymen's gowns.
Pru*nelle" (?), n. [F., dim. of prune. See Prune, n.] A kind of small
and very acid French plum; -- applied especially to the stoned and
dried fruit.
Pru*nel"lo (?), n. [F. prunelle, dim. of prune. See Prune a plum.] A
species of dried plum; prunelle.
Prun"er (?), n. 1. One who prunes, or removes, what is superfluous.
2. (Zoˆl.) Any one of several species of beetles whose larvÊ gnaw the
branches of trees so as to cause them to fall, especially the American
oak pruner (Asemum mústum), whose larva eats the pith of oak branches,
and when mature gnaws a circular furrow on the inside nearly to the
bark. When the branches fall each contains a pupa.
Pru*nif"er*ous (?), a. [L. prunum a plum + -ferous.] Bearing plums.
Prun"ing (?), n. 1. The act of trimming, or removing what is
superfluous.
2. (Falconry) That which is cast off by bird in pruning her feathers;
leavings. Beau. & Fl.
Pruning hook, or Pruning knife, cutting instrument used in pruning
trees, etc. -- Pruning shears, shears for pruning trees, vines, etc.
||Pru"nus (?), n. [L., a plum tree.] (Bot.) A genus of trees with
||perigynous rosaceous flowers, and a single two-ovuled carpel which
||usually becomes a drupe in ripening.
Originally, this genus was limited to the plums, then, by LinnÊus, was
made to include the cherries and the apricot. Later botanists separated
these into several genera, as Prunus, Cerasus, and Armeniaca, but now,
by Bentham and Hooker, the plums, cherries, cherry laurels, peach,
almond, and nectarine are all placed in Prunus.
{ Pru"ri*ence (?), Pru"ri*en*cy (?), } n. The quality or state of being
prurient.
The pruriency of curious ears.
Burke.
There is a prurience in the speech of some.
Cowper.
Pru"ri*ent (?), a. [L. pruries, - entis, p. pr. of prurire to itch. Cf.
Freeze.] Uneasy with desire; itching; especially, having a lascivious
curiosity or propensity; lustful. -- Pru"ri*ent*ly, adv.
The eye of the vain and prurient is darting from object to object
of illicit attraction.