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plum

plum

1 8.6
Exactly in a certain place or position
  • adverb
  • /plʌm/
  • Informal
: justo
  • She hit the nail plum on the head with her answer.

Examples

  • The ball landed plum in the center of the target.

  • The statue stood plum in the middle of the square.

  • The book is plum in the middle of the shelf.

  • She placed the vase plum on the table.

  • The ball landed plum in the center of the target.

  • The statue stood plum in the middle of the square.

  • She placed the vase plum on the table.

Synonyms

plumb
vsplum
  • Informal
1 7.9

Exactly in the middle or at the correct spot

is the standard neutral adverb used broadly rather than regionally informal

Antonyms

74 4.2

In a way that does not say something clearly, often by a hint or through someone else

Idioms

To make ripe fruit or other things fall from a tree by moving its branches quickly

Compounds

4 5.5

A rich steamed dessert with dried fruit and spices, often served at Christmas in Britain

3 9.2

A person who is playful and dreamy in a magical way

3 1.6

A sweet, tangy sauce made from plums used as a dip with Chinese dishes

3 2.2

An oval tomato often used for sauces and canning

2 1.1

A tree that grows plums you can eat

plum job
  • Informal
1 5.1

A job many people want because it pays well, gives good benefits or brings respect

plum duff
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A steamed or boiled sweet pudding made with dried fruit like raisins and currants

1 5.2

A small tart fruit from a tree or bush that grows naturally

1 3.5

A small tree or bush that grows naturally and makes plums

1 7.8

A small dark purple fruit that grows on coastal shrubs and people use to make jam

sugar-plum
  • Archaic
1 8.4

A loving name for a child or someone you love

A small yellow fruit with a large stone and little flesh used for jam

1 7.3

A very good place to be for a special reason, like a seat by a window

1 6.4

A green plum with a very sweet, soft taste

1 6.1

A small dark purple plum or the tree that grows it with a tart taste often used for jam

1 7.0

A sweet alcoholic drink made from plums often served after a meal

A small tree or bush that grows naturally and has small plum fruits

1 7.7

A shrub that grows on the northeast coast and makes white flowers and purple fruit you can eat

1 2.2

A fruit tree that grows sweet plums to eat or make jam

A large sweet plum with red or yellow skin often eaten fresh

1 8.8

A small tree or shrub that produces edible yellow fruit

A very good and rare chance you do not want to miss

1 8.6

A small shrub by the sea with white flowers and purple fruit you can eat

natal plum
  • South African
1 9.6

A large evergreen shrub from South Africa with shiny leaves, thorny branches, and red fruit used as a hedge

1 4.8

A small Asian tree that makes small round fruit like a cherry or plum

A small evergreen tree that makes fuzzy yellow fruit

plum-yew
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An evergreen shrub or small tree with large seeds covered by soft flesh, often grown in gardens

big-tree plum
  • Specialized
9.6

A small tree with large leaves and purplish-red fruit often planted in gardens

6.6

A small tree from eastern North America that makes orange-red fruit

carissa plum
  • South African
9.9

A small edible red fruit like a plum that grows on a South African bush

A deep red-purple color like the skin of a small round fruit

A small North American bush or tree that makes yellow to red edible fruit

A small tropical tree that makes sweet fruit like plums near the coast

8.3

A small plum-shaped tropical fruit with light to dark skin used to make jam

8.8

A small tropical tree that grows edible plum-like fruit

8.9

A tropical American shrub or small tree with edible fruit like a plum used in jams and desserts

9.9

A small sweet fruit from a tree grown in Central Asia and Afghanistan

A small plum tree that makes tart fruit called damsons used for jam

A wild tree that grows dark purple plums with sweet yellow flesh

A wild plum tree that grows in the northeastern United States and makes dark purple fruit with yellow flesh

A wild plum tree from eastern and central North America with red fruit and yellow flesh

8.8

A wild plum tree in eastern and central North America that makes red-orange fruit with yellow flesh

A small bushy tree with deep red sour fruit used as a hedge in warm regions

A brown oval fruit with sweet, tangy flesh used for making sherbet

moxie plum
  • Specialized
9.9

A low evergreen shrub that grows in cool northern places and has small white flowers and soft white seeds

9.8

A wild plum tree from eastern and central North America that makes red-orange fruit with yellow flesh

9.9

A small tropical bush that makes a dense hedge and has deep red sour fruit

governor plum
  • Indian
9.9

A small bush that makes deep red sour fruits used for jams

9.9

A small bush with edible fruits that are yellow or red

8.8

A small yellow or red fruit with a sour taste

A small tree that makes large yellow or red fruit with a tart taste

A small Asian tree that makes red or yellow plums you can eat

natal plum
  • South African
9.6

A small red fruit from a South African shrub that tastes sweet when ripe

Pacific plum
  • Specialized
8.9

A shrub from the Pacific coast of the United States that makes small red fruit that is not very sweet

plum-fruited yew
  • Specialized
9.9

An evergreen South American tree or shrub that makes small plum-like fruit

plum-yew family
  • Specialized
9.9

Evergreen shrubs and small trees from East Asia with seeds that look like plums and leaves like yew trees

A fruit grown in hot countries with rough brown skin and very sweet brown flesh

9.9

A small wild bush on the US west coast that has small red fruit often too bland to eat

How Exact

plum
  • Informal
1 8.6
near
∞ 1.0
about
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

plum positive
plum positive

Etymology

The adverb plum meaning 'exactly' comes from the old word plumb, the same root as plumber and from the Latin word for 'lead'. People used a lead weight to find true up-and-down, so plumb came to mean 'straight' and 'exact', and plum can mean 'right there'.