prune
n.n. a small, dark purple fruit that grows on a tree. It is a type of dried plum that people often eat as a snack or use in cooking.
n. a small, purple-black fruit of the plum tree, specifically the dried variety. Often used in culinary contexts to describe the dried fruit or the tree itself.
I bought a bag of dried prune for my lunch.
The recipe calls for a handful of prune to add a natural sweetness to the stew.
While fresh plums are enjoyed during the summer months, the prune remains a staple in many traditional cuisines due to its high sugar content and long shelf life.
From Middle English prune, from Old French prune, from Vulgar Latin *prūna, feminine singular formed from the neutral plural of Latin prūnum, from Ancient Greek προῦνον (proûnon), variant of προῦμνον (proûmnon, “plum”), a loanword from a language of Asia Minor. Doublet of plum.
From Middle English prunen, prounen, proinen, from Old French proignier (“to trim the feathers with the beak”), earlier prooignier. Likely influenced by Middle French rogner, Old French rooignier (“cut, trim”) (from Latin rotundo?), and possibly by Old French provainier (“provine”) (Latin propaginem? whence French provigner). The relation to the noun is thus unclear.