pluck

American  

[pluhk] / plʌk /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

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

Etymology

Origin of pluck

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

Example Sentences

One card reads: "Keep momentum, FBI slower overnight," while another said: "Change hat, shoes, pluck eyebrows".

From BBC

The War Between the Land and the Sea follows Barclay, played by Russell Tovey, as he's plucked from obscurity to become humanity's ambassador when the Sea Devils rise to the surface.

From BBC

"We're seeing boots on the ground activity where folks are just being plucked off of the streets and being asked about their residency status. That's not a data informed approach," she said.

From BBC

And, as the balls were plucked from pots and placed into pools in Wednesday's draw, the possibility of the northern hemisphere adding to that paltry total seemed to rise.

From BBC

Like the British troops who readily acknowledged the “pluck” of the Dervishes, Mr. Hart is impressed by their willingness to face the massed firepower of rifles, machine guns and artillery.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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