catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  Plum \Plum\, n. [AS. pl[=u]me, fr. L. prunum; akin to Gr. ?, ?.
     Cf. Prune a dried plum.]
     [1913 Webster]
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster] Among plants called plum, but of other
        genera than Prunus, are;
  
     Australian plum, Cargillia arborea and Cargillia
        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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A grape dried in the sun; a raisin.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A handsome fortune or property; formerly, in cant
        language, the sum of [pounds]100,000 sterling; also, the
        person possessing it.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Something likened to a plum in desirableness; a good or
        choice thing of its kind, as among appointments,
        positions, parts of a book, etc.; as, the mayor rewarded
        his cronies with cushy plums, requiring little work for
        handsome pay
        [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]
  
     5. A color resembling that of a plum; a slightly grayish deep
        purple, varying somewhat in its red or blue tint.
        [PJC]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]

  
  
     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.