Plum

Plum
Plum Plum, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?. Cf. {Prune} a dried plum.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) The edible drupaceous fruit of the {Prunus domestica}, and of several other species of {Prunus}; also, the tree itself, usually called {plum tree}. [1913 Webster]

The bullace, the damson, and the numerous varieties of plum, of our gardens, although growing into thornless trees, are believed to be varieties of the blackthorn, produced by long cultivation. --G. Bentham. [1913 Webster]

Note: Two or three hundred varieties of plums derived from the {Prunus domestica} are described; among them the {greengage}, the {Orleans}, the {purple gage}, or {Reine Claude Violette}, and the {German prune}, are some of the best known. [1913 Webster]

Note: Among the true plums are;

{Beach plum}, the {Prunus maritima}, and its crimson or purple globular drupes,

{Bullace plum}. See {Bullace}.

{Chickasaw plum}, the American {Prunus Chicasa}, and its round red drupes.

{Orleans plum}, a dark reddish purple plum of medium size, much grown in England for sale in the markets.

{Wild plum of America}, {Prunus Americana}, with red or yellow fruit, the original of the {Iowa plum} and several other varieties. [1913 Webster] Among plants called plum, but of other genera than {Prunus}, are;

{Australian plum}, {Cargillia arborea} and {Cargillia australis}, of the same family with the persimmon.

{Blood plum}, the West African {H[ae]matostaphes Barteri}.

{Cocoa plum}, the Spanish nectarine. See under {Nectarine}.

{Date plum}. See under {Date}.

{Gingerbread plum}, the West African {Parinarium macrophyllum}.

{Gopher plum}, the Ogeechee lime.

{Gray plum}, {Guinea plum}. See under {Guinea}.

{Indian plum}, several species of {Flacourtia}. [1913 Webster]

2. A grape dried in the sun; a raisin. [1913 Webster]

3. A handsome fortune or property; formerly, in cant language, the sum of [pounds]100,000 sterling; also, the person possessing it. [1913 Webster]

4. Something likened to a plum in desirableness; a good or choice thing of its kind, as among appointments, positions, parts of a book, etc.; as, the mayor rewarded his cronies with cushy plums, requiring little work for handsome pay [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

5. A color resembling that of a plum; a slightly grayish deep purple, varying somewhat in its red or blue tint. [PJC]

{Plum bird}, {Plum budder} (Zo["o]l.), the European bullfinch.

{Plum gouger} (Zo["o]l.), a weevil, or curculio ({Coccotorus scutellaris}), which destroys plums. It makes round holes in the pulp, for the reception of its eggs. The larva bores into the stone and eats the kernel.

{Plum weevil} (Zo["o]l.), an American weevil which is very destructive to plums, nectarines, cherries, and many other stone fruits. It lays its eggs in crescent-shaped incisions made with its jaws. The larva lives upon the pulp around the stone. Called also {turk}, and {plum curculio}. See Illust. under {Curculio}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Plum — /plum/, n. a city in SW Pennsylvania. 25,390. * * * Any of various trees in the genus Prunus of the rose family, and their edible fruits. In the U.S. and Europe, plums are the most extensively distributed of the stone (drupe) fruits, most varied… …   Universalium

  • plum — pudding ou plum pouding [ plumpudiŋ ] n. m. • 1745 ; angl. plum pudding (1711), de plum « raisin sec » et pudding ♦ Pudding. Des plum puddings, des plum poudings. Abrév. fam. PLUM . Des plums. plum …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Plum — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Agnes Plum (1869–1951), deutsche Politikerin (SPD, KPD) Alois Plum (* 1935), deutscher Künstler Christina Plum (1605/1606–16. Januar 1630), bekanntes Opfer der Kölner Hexenverfolgung Michael Plum (* 1960) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • plum — plum̃ interj. 1. sunkiam trankiam žingsniui nusakyti: Plum plum eina plumpėdamas žmogus su klumpiais J. Aš einu, lydžiu plum̃ plum̃ plum̃ Jrb. 2. Jrb dusliam sudavimui nusakyti. 3. žr. plumpt 2: Atgal [į vandenį] plum̃ ta žuvis LKT77(Štk) …   Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language

  • Plum TV — is a lifestyle television channel launched in 2002 by Nantucket Nectars founder Tom Scott, along with producer Cary Woods and TV exec Chris Glowacki. The programming is locally produced largely in affluent vacation communities, marketed towards… …   Wikipedia

  • PLUM — PLUM, the Prunus domestica, of which there are many different varieties. In modern Hebrew, the name shezif is applied to the plum, but erroneously, since the ancient name shezaf is the jujube . A species of plum, Prunus ursina, grows wild in the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • plum — ► NOUN 1) an oval fleshy fruit which is purple, reddish, or yellow when ripe, containing a flattish pointed stone. 2) a reddish purple colour. 3) (before another noun ) informal highly desirable: a plum job. ● have a plum in one s mouth Cf. ↑have …   English terms dictionary

  • Plum — Plum, PA U.S. borough in Pennsylvania Population (2000): 26940 Housing Units (2000): 10624 Land area (2000): 28.628230 sq. miles (74.146772 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.385414 sq. miles (0.998217 sq. km) Total area (2000): 29.013644 sq. miles (75 …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Plum, PA — U.S. borough in Pennsylvania Population (2000): 26940 Housing Units (2000): 10624 Land area (2000): 28.628230 sq. miles (74.146772 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.385414 sq. miles (0.998217 sq. km) Total area (2000): 29.013644 sq. miles (75.144989… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • plum — (n.) O.E. plume, early Germanic borrowing (Cf. M.Du. prume, O.H.G. phruma, Ger. Pflaume) from V.L. *pruna, from L. prunum plum, from Gk. prounon, later form of proumnon, from an Asiatic language. Change of pr to pl is unique to Germanic. Meaning… …   Etymology dictionary

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