noun

pruning

PROO-nihng

Pruning (noun) means the act of trimming excess branches or growth from a plant. Example: “Autumn is the best time for pruning most fruit trees.”

noun

The act of trimming excess branches or growth from a plant.

"Autumn is the best time for pruning most fruit trees."

A technique in computing or decision-making that removes unnecessary branches or options to simplify a process.

"The algorithm uses pruning to skip over branches that clearly won't lead to a better result."

How to use pruning

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTrimming away the unnecessary parts of something, whether a plant or a decision tree.

Common pairings

pruning shears tree pruning pruning algorithm

Word forms

prunings plural

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Autumn is the best time for _____ most fruit trees.

Etymology

From prune plus the -ing ending.

Frequently asked questions

What does “pruning” mean?

The word “pruning” means the act of trimming excess branches or growth from a plant. In plain terms, trimming away the unnecessary parts of something, whether a plant or a decision tree.

How do you pronounce “pruning”?

“Pruning” is pronounced PROO-nihng (/ˈpɹuːnɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “pruning” in a sentence?

Here is “pruning” used in a sentence: “Autumn is the best time for pruning most fruit trees.”

What part of speech is “pruning”?

“Pruning” is a noun.

How many meanings does “pruning” have?

“Pruning” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act of trimming excess branches or growth from a plant.