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What is the difference between preen and prune?

preen | prune |

In transitive terms the difference between preen and prune

is that preen is to pin; fasten while prune is to remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive.

preen

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) pren, from (etyl) ‘edge’, Albanian brez ‘belt, girdle’). The verb is from (etyl) prenen, from .

Alternative forms

* (l) (dialectal)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A forked tool used by clothiers for dressing cloth.
  • (dialectal) pin
  • (dialectal) bodkin; brooch

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To pin; fasten.

    • Etymology 2

    Variant of prune (by influence of preen above) Attested in Chaucer (c. 1395) in the variants preyneth, prayneth, proyneth, prunyht, pruneth , from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (of birds) To groom; to trim or dress with the beak, as the feathers.
  • To show off, posture, or smarm.
  • * 1993 , Scott Simmon, The Films of D W Griffith
    • His preening self-satisfaction, chest thrown forward as he settles into a chair in his mansion...
  • * 2004 , Jude Deveraux, Counterfeit Lady
    • He preened under her compliments.
  • (UK, dialect, dated) To trim up, as trees.
    • (Halliwell)

    See also

    * primp

    Anagrams

    *

    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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