different between plum vs nectarine

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: pl?m, IPA^(key): /pl?m/
• Rhymes: -?m
• Homophone: plumb

Etymology 1

From Middle English plomme, ploume, from Old English pl?me, from Proto-West Germanic *pl?m?, borrowed from Latin pr?num. Doublet of prune.

Noun

plum (plural plums)

1. The fruit and its tree.
   1. The edible, fleshy stone fruit of Prunus domestica, often of a dark red or purple colour. [from 8th c.]
   2. The stone-fruit tree which bears this fruit, Prunus domestica. [from 8th c.]
   3. The edible, fleshy stone fruit of several species resembling the plum, or the tree from which they grow. [from 16th c.]
      1. Prunus sect. Prunus
         1. Prunus cerasifera, the cherry plum or myrobalan
         2. Prunus salicina the Chinese plum or Japanese plum
         3. Prunus spinosa, the sloe
         4. Prunus ursina the bear's plum
      2. Prunus sect. Prunocerasus North American plums
         1. Prunus americana, the American plum
         2. Prunus angustifolia, the Chickasaw plum or sand plum
         3. Prunus hortulana, the hortulan plum
         4. Prunus nigra, the Canadian plum or black plum
         5. Prunus rivularis, the creek plum or hog plum
         6. Prunus subcordata, the 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. [from 17th c.]
2. Extended senses.
   1. (now rare, archaic) One hundred thousand pounds; (generally) a fortune. [from 18th c.]
      • 1751, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, I.1:

        He […] acquired a plentiful fortune, tho', to his infinite regret, he died before it amounted to a Plum […] .

   2. A desirable or choice thing of its kind; a prize selection; a choice appointment, assignment etc. [from 19th c.]

      The mayor rewarded his cronies with cushy plums, requiring little work for handsome pay.

   3. A dark bluish-red color/colour, the colour of some plums. [from 19th c.]

   4. (slang, usually in the plural) A testicle. [from 20th c.]
   5. (derogatory, chiefly Britain) A fool, an idiot.

Synonyms

• (tree): plum tree, plumtree
• (edible fleshy fruit of Prunus mume): ume

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Cornish: ploum
• ? Manx: plumbis
• ? Japanese: ??? (puramu)
• ? Scottish Gaelic: plumas
• ? Thai: ???? (plam)

Translations

Adjective

plum (comparative more plum, superlative most plum)

1. (comparable) Of a dark bluish-red colour.
2. (not comparable) Choice; especially lavish or preferred.

Translations

See also

Etymology 2

Phonetically based spelling of plumb.

Adjective

plum (comparative more plum, superlative most plum)

1. Plumb

Adverb

plum (not comparable)

1. Completely; utterly.

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

Translations

Verb

plum (third-person singular simple present plums, present participle plumming, simple past and past participle plummed)

1. (mining) To plumb.

Anagrams

• lump

Middle English

Noun

plum

1. Alternative form of plomme

Romansch

Alternative forms

• (Sutsilvan) plùn, plùm
• (Surmiran, Puter, Vallader) plom

Etymology

From Latin plumbum (“lead”).

Noun

plum m

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan) lead (metal)

English

Etymology

nectar +? -ine

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?k.t?.?in/

Noun

nectarine (plural nectarines)

1. A cultivar of the peach distinguished by its skin being smooth, not fuzzy.
   • 1670, John Evelyn, Sylva, or, A Discourse of Forest-Trees to which is annexed Pomona, or, An appendix concerning Fruit-Trees in Relation to Cider, London: Jo. Martyn & Ja. Allestry, “Kalendarium Hortense,” p. 10,^[1]

     Prune Fruit-trees, and Vines as yet; For now is your Season to bind, plash, naile, and dresse, without danger of Frost: This to be understood of the most tender and delicate Wall-fruit, not finished before; do this before the buds and bearers grow turgid; and yet in the Nectarine and like delicate Mural-fruit, the later your Pruning, the better, whatever has been, and still is, the contrary custom.

   • 1681, Andrew Marvell, “The Garden,” stanza 5, in Miscellaneous Poems, London: Nonesuch, 1923, pp. 49-50,^[2]

     What wond’rous Life in this I lead!

     Ripe Apples drop about my head;

     The Luscious Clusters of the Vine

     Upon my Mouth do crush their Wine;

     The Nectaren, and curious Peach,

     Into my hands themselves do reach;

     Stumbling on Melons, as I pass,

     Insnar’d with Flow’rs, I fall on Grass.

   • 1742, Samuel Richardson, Pamela, London: S. Richardson, 4th edition, Volume 3, Letter 12, p. 53,^[3]

     So that reading constantly, and thus using yourself to write, and enjoying besides the Benefit of a good Memory, every thing you heard or read, became your own; and not only so, but was improved by passing thro’ more salubrious Ducts and Vehicles; like some fine Fruit grafted upon a common Free-stock, whose more exuberant Juices serve to bring to quicker and greater Perfection the downy Peach, or the smooth Nectarine with its crimson Blush.

   • 1881, Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque:

     When you see a dish of fruit at dessert, you sometimes set your affections upon one particular peach or nectarine, watch it with some anxiety as it comes round the table, and feel quite a sensible disappointment when it is taken by some one else.

2. (obsolete) A nectar-like liquid medicine.
   • 1628 Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Henry Cripps, 3rd edition, Part 3, Section 2, Member 5, Subsection 3, p. 509,^[4]

     He would have some discreet men to disswade them, after the fury of passion is a little spent, or by absence allaied; for it is intempestive at first, to give counsell, as it is, to comfort parents when their children are in that instant departed; to no purpose to prescribe Narcoticks, Cordialls, Nectarines, potions, […]

Synonyms

• brunion

Translations

Further reading

• Peach (Nectarines) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Adjective

nectarine (comparative more nectarine, superlative most nectarine)

1. Nectarous; like nectar.
   • 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 4, lines 329-332,^[5]

     […] to their supper-fruits they fell,

     Nectarine fruits which the compliant boughs

     Yielded them, side-long as they sat recline

     On the soft downy bank damasked with flowers […]

Anagrams

• ancienter, inertance