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| n. 1. a. Any of several shrubs or small trees of the genus Prunus of the rose family, especially the cultivated species P. domestica and P. salicina, bearing smooth-skinned, fleshy, edible fruit with a single stone. b. The fruit of any of these trees. 2. a. Any of several trees bearing plumlike fruit. b. The fruit of such a tree. 3. A raisin, when added to a pudding or cake. 4. A sugarplum. 5. A dark purple to deep reddish purple. 6. An especially desirable position, assignment, or reward: an ambassadorship granted as a political plum. [Middle English, from Old English plūme; akin to Middle Dutch prūme and Old High German phrūma, pflūmo, and ultimately (perhaps via Vulgar Latin *prūma, variant of *prūna) from Latin prūnum or an unknown kindred source; see PRUNE1.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
adv. adj. Variant of plumb. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
