pluck

[pluhk]

verb (used with object)

1. to pull off or out from the place of growth, as fruit, flowers, feathers, etc..

   to pluck feathers from a chicken.

2. to give a pull at; grasp.

   to pluck someone's sleeve.

   Synonyms: tug

3. to pull with sudden force or with a jerk.

   Synonyms: rip, tear, yank

4. to pull or move by force (often followed by away, off, orout ).

5. to remove the feathers, hair, etc., from by pulling.

   to pluck a chicken.

6. Slang.,  to rob, plunder, or fleece.

7. to sound (the strings of a musical instrument) by pulling at them with the fingers or a plectrum.

verb (used without object)

1. to pull or tug sharply (often followed byat ).

2. to snatch (often followed byat ).

noun

1. act of plucking; a tug.

2. the heart, liver, and lungs, especially of an animal used for food.

3. courage or resolution in the face of difficulties.

   Synonyms: nerve, mettle, determination, boldness, bravery

verb phrase

1. pluck up

   1. to eradicate; uproot.

   2. to summon up one's courage; rouse one's spirits.

      He always plucked up at the approach of danger. She was a stranger in the town, but, plucking up her courage, she soon made friends.

pluck

/ plʌk /

verb

1. (tr) to pull off (feathers, fruit, etc) from (a fowl, tree, etc)

2. to pull or tug

3. archaic,  (tr; foll by off, away, etc) to pull (something) forcibly or violently (from something or someone)

4. (tr) to sound (the strings) of (a musical instrument) with the fingers, a plectrum, etc

5. (tr) another word for strip 1

6. slang,  (tr) to fleece or swindle

noun

1. courage, usually in the face of difficulties or hardship

2. a sudden pull or tug

3. the heart, liver, and lungs, esp of an animal used for food

Other Word Forms

• plucker noun
• half-plucked adjective
• unplucked adjective
• well-plucked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pluck¹

before 1000; Middle English plukken (v.), Old English pluccian, cognate with Middle Low German plucken; akin to Dutch plukken, German pflücken

Word History and Origins

Origin of pluck¹

Old English pluccian, plyccan; related to German pflücken

Example Sentences

Brown, a former UK prime minister, said: "It's also incumbent on us to ensure that Nigerian schools are safe spaces for learning, not spaces where children can be plucked from their classroom for criminal profit."

Read more on BBC

Rescuers were still plucking people from treetops and the roofs of homes as floodwaters receded there on Friday, state media reported.

Read more on Barron's

Phillips, 31, has been a key part of the Dodgers’ bullpen since the team plucked him off waivers near the end of the 2021 season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She looks like she was plucked right out of an anime, starring an Afro Korean swordswoman.

Read more on Literature

Afterward, one is expected to complain that the sauna was too cold, the ice bath too warm, and the venik too soft, but this show of pluck is simply part of the experience.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• clutch 
• cull 
• harvest 
• snatch 
• strum 
• yank