pruning
n. uncountablen. the act of cutting off branches or parts of a plant to help it grow better. You do this to keep trees healthy or to make them a better shape.
n. the selective removal of specific plant parts, such as branches, buds, or roots, to improve health or control growth. Often used metaphorically to describe the reduction of non-essential elements in a system or budget.
The roses need some pruning before spring.
Regular pruning of the fruit trees ensures that the branches do not become too heavy and break under their own weight.
While the gardener focused on the physical pruning of the hedges, the management team began a metaphorical pruning of the company's underperforming departments to streamline operations.
From prune + -ing.
Often functions as a gerund noun; frequently paired with 'of' to specify the object being trimmed.