Prune1. (v. t.) 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. t.) To cut off or cut out, as useless parts.
3. (v. t.) To preen; to prepare; to dress.
4. (v. i.) To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt.
5. (n.) A plum; esp., a dried plum, used in cookery; as, French or Turkish prunes; California prunes.
Thesaurus Entries
abbreviate, abridge, abscind, abstract, amputate, annihilate, ax, backset, ban, bar, bisect, blockhead, bob, boil down, brash, butcher, capsulize, carve, chop, chump, cleave, clip, compress, condense, contract, crop, cull, cultivate, culture, curtail, cut, cut away, cut back, cut down, cut in two, cut off, cut off short, cut out, cut short, delve, dichotomize, dig, dimwit, dissever, dock, dolt, dope, dress, dumbbell, elide, eliminate, enucleate, epitomize, eradicate, except, excise, exclude, extinguish, extirpate, fallow, fertilize, fissure, force, foreshorten, gash, hack, halve, harrow, hew, hoe, idiot, ignoramus, incise, isolate, jigsaw, knock off, lance, list, lop, moron, mow, mulch, mutilate, nip, pare, peel, pick out, plow, poll, pollard, rake, reap, recap, recapitulate, reduce, rend, retrench, rive, root out, rule out, saw, scissor, set apart, set aside, sever, shave, shear, shorten, skive, slash, slice, slit, snip, snub, spade, split, stamp out, strike off, strip, strip off, stunt, sum up, summarize, sunder, synopsize, take in, take off, take out, tear, telescope, thin, thin out, till, till the soil, trim, truncate, weed, weed out, whittle, wipe out, work