▪ I. pruning, vbl. n.1 arch.
(ˈpruːnɪŋ)
Forms: see prune v.1
[See -ing1.]
The action of prune v.1; preening. a. Of birds.
| c 1450 [see prune v.1 A. α]. 1486 Bk. St. Albans A vj, An hawke wolde not be letted of hir proynyng. 1555 Digges Prognost. B ij b, If they busy them selues in proyning or washing..looke for rayne. 1611 Cotgr., Onction feable, the pruining, or annointing which a Hawke giues her feathers, by the moisture she sucks from her Crupper. |
b. Of a person: see prune v.1 2.
| 1588 Kyd Househ. Phil. Wks. (1901) 256 Those [women] that are faire with that filthy spunging, proigning, painting, and pollishing themselues. a 1652 A. Wilson Inconstant Ladie ii. ii, Your prunings, paintings, and bare necks. |
c. concr. fig. from use in Falconry.
| a 1625 Fletcher Love's Pilgr. iii. ii, Dare she think..My love so fond..That I must take her prewnings: stoop at that sh'has tyr'd upon? |
▪ II. ˈpruning, vbl. n.2
Forms: see prune v.2
[f. prune v.2 + -ing1.]
The action of prune v.2
1. a. Of plants: see prune v.2 1.
| 1548 Elyot Dict., Castratio arborum, the ofte cuttyng or prunyng of trees. 1615 W. Lawson Country Housew. Gard. (1626) 6 Trees..loaden with wood, for want of proyning. 1706 London & Wise Retir'd Gard. I. 108 Pruning makes a tree look handsome. 1858 Glenny Gard. Everyday Bk. 50/2 Pruning is better done in the latter months of the year, when the leaves have fallen. 1941 P. P. Pirone Maintenance of Shade & Ornamental Trees v. 58 Proper and systematic pruning helps trees better to withstand adverse environmental conditions. 1972 G. E. Brown (title) The pruning of trees, shrubs and conifers. |
b. concr. (pl.) Portions cut off in pruning.
| 1832 Planting 4 in Libr. Usef. Knowl., Husb. III, Affording a quicker return of profit in prunings and thinnings. 1884 Roe Nat. Ser. Story vii, The prunings of the shrubbery. |
2. fig.: see prune v.2 3.
| a 1603 Queen Elizabeth in Nichols Progr. Q. Eliz. (1823) I. 10, I plucke up the goodlisome herbs of sentences by pruning. 1625 Bacon Ess., Studies (Arb.) 9 Naturall Abilities are like Naturall Plants, that need Proyning by Study. 1907 Nation (N.Y.) 23 Nov. 271/1 The prunings and chastenings of his fancy. a 1930 D. H. Lawrence Last Poems (1932) 289 Humanity needs pruning. 1969 Listener 6 Mar. 322/1 It is a surprise to find the Lyric Symphony..a highly charged, expansive outpouring in seven longish movements of which the first three could themselves do with some pruning. 1970 T. Lupton Managem. & Social Sci. (ed. 2) ii. 47 A drastic alteration of working practices and some pruning of manpower. 1971 Nature 16 July 206/2 If a second edition is prepared, the editors would do well to perform some judicious pruning. |
3. attrib. and Comb., esp. in the name of tools or implements used in pruning, as pruning-bill, pruning-chisel, pruning-saw, pruning-scissors, pruning-shears, pruning-hook, -knife.
| c 1586 C'tess Pembroke Ps. lxxx. iii, Thou..Nor planting care didst slack, nor pruning paines. 1822 Loudon Encycl. Gard. 319 The Pruning-Bill is generally a hooked blade..attached to a handle of from one to four feet in length. Ibid., The Pruning-Saw is a blade of steel, serrated in what is called the double manner on one side. Ibid. 320 The Pruning-Shears differ from the common sort, in having a moveable centre for the motion of one of the blades, by which means, instead of a crushing-cut, they make a draw-cut. |
▪ III. ˈpruning, ppl. a.
[f. prune v.2 + -ing2.]
That prunes (lit. or fig.): see prune v.2
| 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. IV cccxxv, Soe stands the vineyard of Humanitye..Where pruneing Lawes lye by. a 1845 Barham Cousin Nicholas iv, Under the pruning and training hand of a skilful master. |