plum

¹

[ pluhm ]

noun

1. the drupaceous fruit of any of several trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, having an oblong stone.
2. the tree itself.
3. any of various other trees bearing a plumlike fruit.
4. the fruit itself.
5. a sugarplum.
6. a raisin, as in a cake or pudding.
7. 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

, plum·mer, plum·mest.

1. extremely desirable, rewarding, profitable, or the like:

   a plum job in the foreign service.

Plum

²

[ pluhm ]

noun

1. a city in SW Pennsylvania.

plum

¹

/ plʌm /

adjective

1. a variant spelling of plumb plumb plumb plumb

plum

²

/ plʌm /

noun

1. 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 See also greengage damson
2. the fruit of this tree
3. a raisin, as used in a cake or pudding
4. 1. a dark reddish-purple colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      a plum carpet

5. informal.
   1. something of a superior or desirable kind, such as a financial bonus
   2. ( as modifier )

      a plum job

Derived Forms

• ˈplumˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• plumlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plum¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English plūme (cognate with German Pflaume ) ≪ Greek proûmnon plum, proúmnē plum tree; prune ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of plum¹

Old English plūme; related to Latin prunum, German Pflaume

Example Sentences

But for long, long decades before, Santa Clara County was “the Valley of Heart’s Delight,” a bee-and-blossom Eden of fragrant fruit: cherries, apricots, and mostly plums for prunes.

From Los Angeles Times

“I am so proud of my little plum, my little dragon for making the journey to be with us. My heart has exploded,” she wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

Men exist as leaders, even as they cough up self-serving justifications about "serving God" to explain why they get the plum gigs.

From Salon

The yard already had a few fruit trees — fig, plum, pomegranate and guava — and she’s added a few more, including a Meyer lemon, apricot and orange.

From Los Angeles Times

They look like a blueberry, but kind of taste like a plum.

From Salon

Related Words

• carrot
• cream