plum
C1neutral
Definition
Meaning
A soft, round stone fruit with smooth, dark red or purple skin, sweet yellow flesh, and a single hard seed (stone).
Something highly desirable or rewarding, often due to its value or status; a deep purple colour; or a type of dried plum (prune).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The 'desirable thing' meaning derives from the fruit being considered a sweet delicacy. In colour contexts, it is a specific shade of purple, not a generic term.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In AmE, 'plum' often specifically refers to the fresh fruit, while 'prune' is the dried version. In BrE, 'prune' is also common for the dried fruit, but 'plum' can be used more broadly in certain idioms.
Connotations
The connotation of 'a plum job/role' (a highly desirable one) is strong and identical in both varieties.
Frequency
The idiomatic use for a desirable thing is slightly more frequent in BrE journalism.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have/get/land a plum [noun]be as [adjective] as a plumV (e.g., pick, eat, stew) a plumVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A plum job/role/assignment”
- “To land a plum (of something)”
- “As American as apple pie and plum pudding (rare, variant)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a highly desirable position, contract, or assignment ('He landed the plum account').
Academic
Rare. Might appear in botanical, culinary, or historical texts (e.g., history of agriculture, Dickensian literature re: 'plum pudding').
Everyday
Primarily for the fruit, the colour, or describing something very good.
Technical
In horticulture (cultivars like 'Victoria plum'); in colourimetry (a specific hex code for plum).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (obsolete/rare) To plumb or fathom.
American English
- (rare, regional) To pick plums.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial use.)
American English
- (No standard adverbial use.)
adjective
British English
- She wore a plum-coloured dress to the wedding.
- He secured a plum ministerial post.
American English
- The walls were painted a rich plum.
- It was a plum assignment for the new reporter.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like to eat a plum for my snack.
- The paint colour is called 'plum'.
- She stewed the plums with a bit of sugar.
- He was offered a plum role in the new film.
- After years of hard work, she finally landed a plum job at the consultancy.
- The sauce, made with ripe plums, had a perfect sweet and tart balance.
- The plum posting to the Paris office was highly coveted by all the senior staff.
- His prose was described as plum-rich, evoking the opulence of the era.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a PLUM job is so sweet and desirable, just like biting into a perfect, juicy plum.
Conceptual Metaphor
DESIRABLE THINGS ARE SWET FRUITS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'слива' (sliva) which is the correct translation for the fruit. 'Плюм' is a transliteration used only for the colour or brand names.
- The idiom 'plum job' is best translated as 'лакомый кусок' or 'выгодная должность', not literally.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'plum' to mean any purple colour (it's a specific dark purple).
- Confusing 'plum' (adj.) with 'plumb' (completely, or a weight).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'plum' LEAST likely to be used correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, a prune is a dried plum, specifically from varieties that dry well without fermenting.
It means an excellent, highly desirable job, often because it is well-paid, prestigious, or easy.
Very rarely and not in standard modern English. Historically it meant 'to plumb'. In some dialects, it can mean 'to pick plums'.
'Plum' is the fruit/colour/desirable thing. 'Plumb' (vb.) means to install pipes, (adj.) means perfectly vertical, and (adv.) means completely (e.g., plumb crazy).