pluck
Americanverb (used with object)
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to pull off or out from the place of growth, as fruit, flowers, feathers, etc..
to pluck feathers from a chicken.
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to give a pull at; grasp.
to pluck someone's sleeve.
- Synonyms:
- tug
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to pull with sudden force or with a jerk.
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to pull or move by force (often followed by away, off, orout ).
-
to remove the feathers, hair, etc., from by pulling.
to pluck a chicken.
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Slang. to rob, plunder, or fleece.
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to sound (the strings of a musical instrument) by pulling at them with the fingers or a plectrum.
verb (used without object)
-
to pull or tug sharply (often followed byat ).
-
to snatch (often followed byat ).
noun
-
act of plucking; a tug.
-
the heart, liver, and lungs, especially of an animal used for food.
-
courage or resolution in the face of difficulties.
- Synonyms:
- nerve, mettle, determination, boldness, bravery
verb phrase
verb
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(tr) to pull off (feathers, fruit, etc) from (a fowl, tree, etc)
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to pull or tug
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archaic (tr; foll by off, away, etc) to pull (something) forcibly or violently (from something or someone)
-
(tr) to sound (the strings) of (a musical instrument) with the fingers, a plectrum, etc
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(tr) another word for strip 1
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slang (tr) to fleece or swindle
noun
-
courage, usually in the face of difficulties or hardship
-
a sudden pull or tug
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Portuguese former Aalesunds forward Braga is emblematic of Hearts' season - a relative unknown plucked from Norwegian football.
From BBC
His early characters were consistently archetypal, plucked from the average high school experience.
From Salon
“We help about 1,400 families a month and we plucked out who had experience at large financial institutions that we could learn from, and culled records from at least a thousand,” said Walter.
From MarketWatch
When she finished, it looked so real I almost thought I could reach into the tapestry, pluck an apple, and take a bite.
From Literature
And it plucks a nerve in a country still scarred by its history of militarism.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
