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

The first was batted high in the air at the line of scrimmage and plucked by 314-pound defensive tackle Grover Stewart.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Last January, for instance, the Bears plucked the mastermind of the Detroit Lions high-octane offense, Ben Johnson.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That this one moment became so central to the craze—it was plucked from the middle of a 36-minute basketball video—makes almost as little sense as the craze itself.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And “The Godfather,” the No. 1 box office hit of 1972, plucked Keaton from stage obscurity to give the fledgling screen actor its crucial final shot, a close-up.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The robotic arms that plucked pizzas from ovens were made by ABB.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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