Definition

1. Noun:

   • A type of fruit: A small, round or oval fruit with smooth skin (which can be purple, red, yellow, or green) and a single hard seed (pit) inside. It is often sweet and juicy.
   • A tree: Any of several trees that produce this fruit.
   • Something highly desirable: A very good or desirable thing, especially a job or benefit that is given as a reward.

2. Adverb:

   • Completely; absolutely: Used as an intensifier, meaning "totally" or "utterly."
   • Exactly; precisely: Used to emphasize that something is directly or exactly in a particular position.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Fruit):

  • She ate a ripe plum for a snack.
  • The market sells several varieties of plums.

• Noun (Desirable thing):

  • That new job with a company car is a real plum assignment.
  • The senator handed out political plums to his loyal supporters.

• Adverb (Completely):

  • After the long hike, I was plum exhausted. (Note: "plumb" is a more common spelling for this adverbial use, but "plum" is an accepted variant.)
  • He plum forgot about our meeting.

• Adverb (Exactly):

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

Advanced Usage

• "A plum job/role/assignment": An excellent and desirable position, often seen as a reward.
  • Winning the contract was a plum victory for the small firm.

Variants and Related Words

• Plum tree (n): The tree that bears plums.
• Plummy (adj):
  • Resembling a plum in taste, smell, or richness.
  • (Of a voice) Rich and mellow in tone, often associated with a upper-class British accent.
• Plumb (adv, adj, verb): While a distinct word, it is relevant as "plum" is sometimes used as a variant spelling for the adverb meaning "completely" or "exactly." "Plumb" as a verb means to measure depth or to understand something deeply.

Synonyms

• Noun (Fruit): None that are exact, but related fruits include prune (a dried plum), damson.
• Noun (Desirable thing): Prize, perk, bonus, reward.
• Adverb: Completely, utterly, totally, exactly, precisely, directly.

Idioms and Phrases

• To have a plum in one's mouth: (British English, informal) To speak with an affected upper-class accent.
  • He talks with a plum in his mouth, so everyone thinks he went to a private school.
• Plum role/part: A very good and prominent role for an actor.
  • Playing the villain was a plum role for the young actor.

Adverb

1. completely; used as intensifiers
   • clean forgot the appointment
   • I'm plumb (or plum) tuckered out
2. exactly
   • fell plumb in the middle of the puddle

Noun

1. a highly desirable position or assignment
   • a political plum
2. any of numerous varieties of small to medium-sized round or oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single pit
3. any of several trees producing edible oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single hard stone