PRUNINGS
Noun
prunings
plural of pruning
Anagrams
• ringspun, spurning
Source: Wiktionary
PRUNING
Prun"ing, n.
1. The act of trimming, or removing what is superfluous.
2. (Falconry)
Definition: 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.
PRUNE
Prune, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pruned; p. pr. & vb. n. Pruning.] Etym:
[OE. proine, probably fr. F. provigner to lay down vine stocks for
propagation; hence, probably, the meaning, to cut away superfluous
shoots. See Provine.]
1. 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. Thackeray.
Taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be pruned and
reformed. Bacon.
Our delightful task To prune these growing plants, and tend these
flowers. Milton.
2. To cut off or cut out, as useless parts.
Horace will our superfluous branches prune. Waller.
3. To preen; to prepare; to dress. Spenser.
His royal bird Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak. Shak.
Prune, v. i.
Definition: To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt. Dryden.
Prune, n. Etym: [F. prune, from L. prunum a plum. See Plum.]
Definition: 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).
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition