Definition of 'plum'

Word Frequency

plum

(plʌm )

Word forms: plums

1. countable noun

A plum is a small, sweet fruit with a smooth purple, red, or yellow skin and a pit in the middle.

2. colour

Something that is plum or plum-colored is a dark reddish-purple color.

...plum-colored silk.

More Synonyms of plum

Image of
plum

plum in American English

(plʌm )

noun

any of various small prunus trees bearing a smooth-skinned, edible drupaceous fruit with a flattened stone

the edible fruit

any of various trees bearing plumlike fruits

a raisin, when used in pudding or cake

plum pudding

the dark bluish-red or reddish-purple color of some plums

something choice or desirable; specif., a well-paying job

Word origin

ME < OE plume, akin to Ger pflaume < WGmc *pruma < VL *pruna: see prune2

Word Frequency

plum in American English 1

(plʌm) (adjective plummer, plummest)

noun

the drupaceous fruit of any of several trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, having an oblong stone

the tree itself

any of various other trees bearing a plumlike fruit

the fruit itself

a sugarplum

a raisin, as in a cake or pudding

a deep purple varying from bluish to reddish

8. informal

an excellent or desirable thing, as a fine position

The choicest plums went to his old cronies

9. informal

an unanticipated large increase in money or property, as an unexpected legacy; a windfall

The company offered bonuses and other plums

10. Also called: displacer

a large stone used in massive concrete construction

adjective

11.

extremely desirable, rewarding, profitable, or the like

a plum job in the foreign service

Derived forms

plumlike

adjective

Word origin

[bef. 900; ME; OE plūme (c. G Pflaume) ‹‹ Gk proûmnon plum, proúmnē plum tree; cf. prune1]

Word Frequency

plum in American English 2

(plʌm)

adjective or adverb

plumb (sense 3), plumb (sense 4), plumb (sense 5), plumb (sense 6), plumb (sense 7)

Word Frequency

plum in British English 1

(plʌm )

noun

a small rosaceous tree, Prunus domestica, with white flowers and an edible oval fruit that is purple, yellow, or green and contains an oval stone

plum in British English 2

(plʌm )

adjective, adverb

a variant spelling of plumb (sense 3), plumb (sense 4), plumb (sense 5), plumb (sense 6)

Examples of 'plum' in a sentence
plum

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

Deep red, with dark spiced plums.When's the best time to remove the lower branches of my plum tree?What's causing the white dust on the leaves of our plum tree?It seems unlikely he has landed a plum City job. Try plum and cherry red.He's got a plum job. Running the V&A is a plum job for the 42-year-old historian. Cherry plum is producing new leaves and sparkling white flowers at the same time. Black plum colour belies bouncy red fruits and the oak is perfectly balanced.WHAT'S wrong with the leaves of my plum tree?

Word lists with
plum

purple, tree

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

Score: 0 / 5

Which tree am I?

any of various thorny, tropical trees of the leguminous genus Erythrina, having bright red flowers and reddish shiny seeds

coral tree hawthorn mountain ash

Which tree am I?

any of several trees of the salicaceous genus Populus, such as P. tremula of Europe, in which the leaves are attached to the stem by long flattened stalks so that they quiver in the wind

aspen silky oak willow

Which tree am I?

a tree, Cordyline australis, of New Zealand having a tall branchless trunk and a palmlike top

black pine cabbage tree (palm) Scots pine

Which tree am I?

a tropical or subtropical cultivated evergreen rutaceous tree, Citrus paradisi

citrus grapefruit lemon

Which tree am I?

an Australian casuarina tree, Casuarina cristata, yielding a useful timber

belah blackwood coachwood

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