Prune vs Retrench - What's the difference?

As verbs the difference between prune and retrench

is that prune is to remove excess material from a tree or shrub; to trim, especially to make more healthy or productive while retrench is to cut down or reduce or retrench can be to dig or redig a trench where one already was.

As a noun prune

is (obsolete) a plum.

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

* ----

retrench

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) retrenchier, (etyl) retrancher; see (etyl) , and English trench.

Verb

(es)

To cut down or reduce.

* Denham

Thy exuberant parts retrench .

To abridge; to curtail.

* Milton

But this thy glory shall be soon retrenched .

To confine; to limit; to restrict.

(Addison)

* I. Taylor

These figures, ought they then to receive a retrenched interpretation?

To furnish with a retrenchment (defensive work within a fortification).

to retrench bastions

To take up a new defensive position.

We must retrench and try to hold on long enough for products in development to reach the market or we will be out of business.

*2012 , The Economist, Private Equity: Keep Calm and Carry On

International firms could decide it is not cost-effective to keep open their other European offices and retrench to London.