plum

Etymology 1

From Middle English plomme, ploume, from Old English plūme, from Proto-West Germanic *plūmā, borrowed from Latin prūnum. Doublet of prune.

noun

1. The fruit and its tree.
   1. An edible, fleshy stone fruit of Prunus domestica (European plum), often of a dark red or purple colour.
   2. A stone-fruit tree which bears this fruit, Prunus domestica.
   3. The edible, fleshy stone fruit of several species resembling the plum, or the tree from which they grow.
      1. Prunus sect. Prunus
         1. Prunus cerasifera (cherry plum or myrobalan)
         2. Prunus salicina (Chinese plum or Japanese plum)
         3. Prunus spinosa (sloe)
         4. Prunus ursina (bear's plum)
      2. Prunus sect. Prunocerasus North American plums
         1. Prunus americana (American plum)
         2. Prunus angustifolia (Chickasaw plum or sand plum)
         3. Prunus hortulana (hortulan plum)
         4. Prunus nigra (Canadian plum or black plum)
         5. Prunus rivularis (creek plum or hog plum)
         6. Prunus subcordata (Klamath plum or Oregon plum)
      3. Prunus sect. Armeniaca (better known as apricots)
         1. Prunus mume, an Asian fruit more closely related to the apricot than the plum, usually consumed pickled, dried, or as a juice or wine; ume.
   4. (now rare) A dried grape or raisin, as used in a pudding or cake.
      “Bright boy! here’s a plum for you,” and Polly threw a plump raisin into his mouth. 1870, Louisa May Alcott, An Old-Fashioned Girl
      Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, eating a Christmas pie; he put in his thumb, and he took out a plum, and said, “What a good boy am I!” 1877, Mother Gooose’s Nursery Rhymes
2. Extended senses.
   1. (now rare, archaic) One hundred thousand pounds; (generally) a fortune.
   2. A desirable or choice thing of its kind; a prize selection; a choice appointment, assignment etc.
      The mayor rewarded his cronies with cushy plums, requiring little work for handsome pay.
      Such chances as this do not fall to a man's lot twice; but Edmond Werdet relates a story very similar indeed, and where also the "plums" fell into the lap of a London dealer. 1880, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, page 52
   3. A dark bluish-red color/colour, the colour of some plums.
      plum:
      web plum:
   4. (slang, usually in the plural) A testicle.
   5. (derogatory, chiefly UK) A fool, an idiot.

adj

1. (comparable) Of a dark bluish-red colour.
2. (not comparable) Choice; especially lavish or preferred.
   She landed a plum position as an executive for the firm.
   It is obviously a "plum" job, one distinction being that its motormen are granted an allowance of about 6s. [six shillings] towards the cost of Wagons-Lits food in the crew quarters of the train, …. Additionally, by the way, each man is allowed a quarter of a bottle of wine "on the house" per trip! 1960 March, G. Freeman Allen, “Europe's most luxurious express - the "Settebello"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 146

Etymology 2

Phonetically based spelling of plumb.

adj

1. Plumb

adv

1. Completely; utterly.
   You're going to think I'm plum crazy for this, but I want to adopt all seven kittens.

verb

1. (mining) To plumb.