Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Plum?

\Plum\, n. Something likened to a plum in desirableness; a good or choice thing of its kind, as among appointments, positions, parts of a book, etc.
\Plum\, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?. Cf. {Prune} a dried plum.] 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}. 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. 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. 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. Among plants called plum, but of other genera than {Prunus}, are; {Australian plum}, {Cargillia arborea} and {C. 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}. 2. A grape dried in the sun; a raisin. 3. A handsome fortune or property; formerly, in cant language, the sum of [pounds]100,000 sterling; also, the person possessing it. {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}.