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to prune the bush

to prune the bush

3.3
Cut back the branches of a bush to help it grow and keep its shape
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : podar el arbusto
  • Every year, she takes the time to prune the bush in her garden to keep it healthy.

He said to me, the harder you prune the Bush, the better the flowers the next season, a rose Bush.

Examples

  • If you prune the bush regularly, it will produce more flowers in the summer.

  • To encourage growth, it is important to prune the bush during the early spring.

  • He said to me, the harder you prune the Bush, the better the flowers the next season, a rose Bush.

Synonyms

to trim
vsto prune the bush
95 2.6

Cut something to make it smaller or neater

is focused on shaping plant branches to improve growth not general neatness
to prune
vsto prune the bush
6 3.4

Cut branches and stems from a plant to help it grow and keep its shape

is used for a single plant, focusing on shaping its growth
to cut back
vsto prune the bush
4 3.9

To trim stems or branches so a plant grows better

is narrower, applied to one plant for shaping rather than general reduction
to trim down
vsto prune the bush
3 3.4

To make something smaller by cutting or removing parts

is narrower, used for shaping a plant's branches rather than broad cuts
to trim back
vsto prune the bush
1 3.4

Make a thing smaller by cutting or removing parts

is specific to branch shaping and growth rather than broad removal

Antonyms

100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

How Trimmed

to lop
8 4.2
to prune the bush
3.3

Surface Forms

prune the bush infinitive
pruned the bush past participle
pruning the bush present participle
prunes the bush third person singular

Morphology

prune + the + bush

The verb 'prune' (to trim plant branches) combined with the noun 'bush' yields a directly compositional meaning: cutting back a bush's branches. The definite article 'the' is semantically neutral here and the event follows a common verb + object pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Prune the bush comes from simple gardening: to prune a bush means to cut away old or extra branches so light and air reach the inside and new shoots can grow. That's why it means 'to trim or cut back the branches of a bush to improve its shape and growth'.