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Phyllis vs Prune - What's the difference?

phyllis | prune |

As a proper noun phyllis

is (greek mythology) a girl who killed herself for love, and was turned into an almond tree.

As a noun prune is

(obsolete) a plum.

As a verb prune is

to remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive.

phyllis

English

Alternative forms

* Phillis

Proper noun

(en proper noun)
  • (Greek mythology) A girl who killed herself for love, and was turned into an almond tree.
  • derived from the mythological character.
  • * 1599 (a madrigal):
    • Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone / Feeding her flock near to the mountain side
  • * 1855 A.W., The Little Foot-Page , in , No. 92, Oct. 6, 1855:
    • But the name to which the Pages were given of yore, / And the name of the Page I am speaking of, bore / As much likeness as Sukey to Eleonore, / or Betty to Phyllis or Lalage;
  • * 1906 :
    • "Look," said Bobbie, "I've made the nest all right again. Give me the bit of stick to mark your initial name on it. But how can you? Your letter and Peter's are the same. P. for Peter, P. for Phyllis'." "I put F. for '''Phyllis'''," said the child of that name. "That's how it sounds. The swallows wouldn't spell ' Phyllis with a P., I'm certain-sure."
  • * 2002 Patricia McCune Irvine, A Tinkling Cymbal , iUniverse, ISBN 0595227341, page 183:
    • "Well, you know when a father's name is Paul and they name the baby girl, Paulette?" "Or Paula." "That's right. Or his name is Philip and they name her Phyllis ?" "Or Phillipa. Don't forget Phillipa. I love the name Phillipa." Lark smiled and played the game with Holly.

    Usage notes

    * The given name was mostly limited to pastoral poetry until it became popular in the Anglo-Saxon world during the first half of the 20th century.

    Related terms

    * Phillida * Phyllida

    prune

    English

    (wikipedia prune)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) prune, from (etyl) , a loanword from a language of Asia Minor.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A plum.
  • The dried, wrinkled fruit of certain species of plum.
  • (slang) An old woman, especially a wrinkly one.
    • Synonyms
    * see
    Derived terms
    * German prune * prune tree * pruney * South African prune

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) 'to round-off the front'.

    Verb

    (prun)
  • To remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive.
    • A good grape grower will prune his vines once a year.
  • * Milton
    • Our delightful task / To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers.
  • (figuratively) To cut down or shorten (by the removal of unnecessary material).
    • to prune a budget, or an essay
  • * Francis Bacon
    • taking into consideration how they [laws] are to be pruned and reformed
  • (obsolete) To preen; to prepare; to dress.
  • * Shakespeare
    • His royal bird / Prunes the immortal wing and cloys his beak.
    (Dryden)
    (Spenser)
    Derived terms
    * (l) * (l)

    Anagrams

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