I. ˈpu̇l verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English pullen, from Old English pullian; probably akin to Frisian pûlje to shell, Middle Low German pulen to shell, cull, perform a laborious task, Middle Dutch pulen, puilen, pullen to bulge, protrude, Norwegian dialect pulla to bubble up, Icelandic pūla to work hard, push hard
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to draw out from the skin : pluck
we'll pull his plumes — Shakespeare
specifically : to remove (as the wool or hair) from hides or skins usually by means of a blunt knife, scraper, or rotating spiral knife
as the wool is pulled it is put into containers by grade — A.L.Anderson
(2) chiefly dialect : pluck
pull poultry
b. : to pick from a tree or plant : gather
handed me a gay bouquet of roses pulled in the rain — Katherine Mansfield
pull corn from the stalk
c.
(1) : to take out of the ground by the roots
ate plenty of green food, all home-grown and freshly pulled; lettuce and radishes and young onions — Flora Thompson
(2) : to dig out : uproot
immigrants were planting garden plots and pulling stumps as the forest wall receded — American Guide Series: Oregon
d. : extract
had two teeth pulled
2.
a. : to exert force upon so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the force : tug at
the engine pulled a long line of freight cars
pulled the sled with a rope
pulled his hair
pull off a ring
— opposed to push
b.
(1) : to change the state or condition of by exerting a tugging force
the major pulled open a zipper on the corner of the oxygen tent — Raymond Boyle
pulled the door shut behind him
(2) : to stretch (cooling candy) repeatedly in order to produce a desired color, texture, and flavor
(3) : to strain or stretch abnormally
pull a muscle
pull a tendon
c. : to exert an influence on : impel
driven by ambitions, pulled by private sentiments — Carl Van Doren
through his affection for his brother, was pulled, now this way, now that — Edith Sitwell
d. : to hold back (a racehorse) from running at full speed and winning
told track stewards he was approached by gamblers to pull his mount — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News
e.
(1) : to draw (an oar) through the water
pulled an oar in the winning shell
(2) : row
pulled a dinghy across the star-bright water to the lugger — Olaf Ruhen
f. : to set in action or operation
pulled a fire alarm
some positive safeguard was required against the chance of signalmen pulling the wrong levers — O.S.Nock
pull the trigger
g.
(1) baseball : to hit (a pitched ball) into or toward left field from a right-handed batting stance or into or toward right field from a left-handed batting stance
some left-handed batters are shallow left field hitters but may pull the ball a mile to right — Lou Boudreau
(2) cricket : to hit (a bowled ball) to the on side with a stroke resembling a drive in which the bat swings downward and approximately parallel to the popping crease
(3) golf : to hit (a ball) toward the left from a right-handed swing or toward the right from a left-handed swing
3. : to draw apart : rend , tear
hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces — Lam 3:11 (Authorized Version)
pulled his opponent's arguments to bits
4.
a. : to make (as a proof or impression) by printing
b. : to make a proof or impression of (as a type form, lithographic stone, etching)
5.
a. : to remove or cause to be removed from a place, enclosure, or situation
started pulling the wounded out of the vehicles — J.P.O'Neill
get the prop off, pull that tail shaft and put in the spare — K.M.Dodson
pulled the pitcher in the third inning
traveling gagman who pulls jokes out of his inside pockets — Lee Rogow
b. : to bring (a weapon) into the open ready for use especially by removing from a sheath : draw
pulled a gun on his partner — Erle Stanley Gardner
pulled a knife on me and tried to slash my face — William Goyen
c. : to draw from a barrel or other container
pulling pints of porter for the men off the boats — Frank Ritchie
d. : to remove (a bullet) from a cartridge
e. : to remove the old construction from (a book) preparatory to rebinding
f.
(1) : to call out on strike
pulled all the workers out of the plant
(2) : to call a strike in
pulled the plant
(3) : to call (a strike) into effect
pulled a strike in the plant
g. : to break up
they pulled camp and headed for home
6.
a. : to carry out with daring and imagination
pulled another coup, sailing his fleet out under cover of darkness — American Guide Series: Vermont
pulled a play that was entirely unexpected — F.G.Lieb
b.
(1) : to put (a crime) into execution : commit
concluded that the same bandit probably had pulled all three holdups — Al Spiers
(2) : to be guilty of
pull a boner
(3) : to do, perform, or say with a deceptive intent : perpetrate
had been pulling all this stuff for years and getting away with it — Richard Bissell
pull a fast one
c. : to draw or carry out as an assignment or duty
was pulling KP when his discharge papers came through — Mack Morriss
pulled 23 combat missions
7.
a. : to put on : assume
pulled a reluctant grin as he rode away — L.C.Douglas
b. slang : to act or behave in the manner of
pull a Simon Legree
8.
a. : to draw the support or attention of : attract
pulled more votes than his running mates
pulled the largest crowds in baseball history
b. : obtain , secure
pulled an A in his English course
the motorist who dawdles at less than forty pulls a ticket — Noel Houston
9. : to demand or obtain an advantage over someone by the assertion of (as a real or fancied superiority)
pulled his scientific authority on me — Saul Bellow
liked to pull his rank on his inferiors
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to exert a pulling force or perform a pulling action
the second button of his dark blue coat … was strained, pulling on the threads that held it — Stuart Cloete
somebody was pulling again and again at the rusty knob — Marcia Davenport
b. : to move to or from a particular place or in a particular direction especially through the exercise of mechanical energy or physical force
the train pulled into the platform
the car pulled out of the driveway
the rowers pulled clear of the ship
pulled into town last night
decided to pull south to avoid pursuit
c.
(1) : to take a drink
pulled at rum bottles — S.T.Williamson
(2) : to puff or draw hard in smoking
pulled at his pipe and stared at the fire — Kathleen Freeman
d. of a horse : to strain against the bit
e. of a hawk : to feed by tearing or snatching
pull upon a stump
f. : to draw a gun
without warning he pulled and fired
g. : to pull a ball
he'd be a better hitter if he could learn to pull
2.
a. : to admit of being pulled
these roots pull easily
b. of type : to become pulled out of a form (as by an ink roller) — often used with out
3. : to attract attention or influence people especially to buy a particular product
this ad pulled better than any other we have run
the clearance sale is pulling well
4. : to feel or express strong sympathy : vigorously encourage or support : root
nearly always pulls for the underdog — Time
was pulling for his team to win
Synonyms:
draw , drag , haul , hale , tug , tow : pull is a general term meaning to move in the direction of the person or thing exerting force
locomotives pulling the train
pulling the drowning child from the water
pulling the box off the shelf
draw , often interchangeable with pull , may sometimes apply to lighter action marked by smooth continuity or dexterity
draw up a chair
draw the curtains
draw off the fluid with a pipette
drag may suggest a slow, heavy, labored, rough pulling against resistance, over an uneven surface, or of something that does not readily roll or glide
dragging the overturned car off the road
a ship dragging her anchor
dragging the rocks out of the field
haul may apply to steady forceful heavy pulling or dragging; it may apply to transporting of heavy bulky materials, often those undergoing rough handling
haul the trunk up the stairs
he made a rope fast round the body and it was unceremoniously hauled aboard — Nevil Shute
haul the coal from the mines
hauling the bricks from the town upon his wheelbarrow — Pearl Buck
hauled in, the fish are dumped into bins partially filled with cracked ice — American Guide Series: Florida
hale , once a fairly common synonym of haul , is now most likely to be used of the constraining, compelling, and dragging involved in arresting someone resisting
natives, haled long distances to court as liquor witnesses — Elbridge Colby
tug applies to strenuous pulling, sometimes steady but more often in marked spasmodic bursts
tugging at the ropes
tug the rug out from under the furniture
tow applies to pulling along behind one with a rope, chain, cable, or bar
tugs towing strings of barges
a plane towing a glider
towing the wrecked car to the garage
•
- pull a face
- pull a fast one
- pull a lone oar
- pull a punch
- pull caps
- pull devil, pull baker
- pull fodder
- pull in one's horns
- pull leather
- pull oneself together
- pull one's freight
- pull one's leg
- pull one's teeth
- pull one's weight
- pull stakes
- pull strings
- pull the string
II. noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English pul, from pullen, v.
1.
a. : the act or an instance of pulling
gave a quick pull on the rope
supposed to hold the man's foot in a certain position and keep a steady straight pull on it — R.H.Newman
a candy pull
as
(1) : a draft of liquid or an inhalation of smoke : drag
paused to take a long pull on his stein of beer — Warner Bloomberg
the old man would take a pull at his pipe — Donn Byrne
taking a pull of milk from the can on the window sill — B.T.Cleeve
(2) : a pull on the bridle of a horse to check its speed
in race after race he won in a gallop, under a pull — Collier's Year Book
to avoid a collision our young friend has to take a pull — Geoffrey Brooke
(3) : the act of pulling at an oar ; broadly : an excursion in a rowboat
enjoyed the pull , though the river is very desolate-looking down there — Rachel Henning
(4) : the act or an instance of pulling a ball (as in golf, cricket)
a powerful pull to leg
a pull stroke
a pull shot
(5) : the change of course of a curling stone as it moves down the ice
b.
(1) : a force or effort exerted in pulling
its pull is only one third that of the earth — J.G.Vaeth
the sun's sideward pull — Newsweek
(2) : the effort expended in moving forward or upward
a long pull uphill
his long hard pull to get where he had got in her uncle's firm — Louis Auchincloss
(3) : the force required to overcome the resistance to pulling of a specific object (as a bow or the trigger of a firearm)
a bow with a 30 pound pull
a trigger with a four pound pull
(4) : the resistance of a paint to brushing : drag under the brush
2.
a. : something (as a quality, attainment, or circumstance) that favors an individual in a comparison or contest : advantage
people who have had a classical education do start with a pull — Archibald Marshall
the old families, with all the pull of their name and possessions — A.L.Rowse
b. : special influence exerted or capable of being exerted on behalf of a person or group
got that job through pull — W.J.Reilly
has come up from the ranks without any pull or family backing — Current History
3. : proof 10a
4. : a device (as a knob, cord, handle) for pulling something or for operating (as in opening, closing, or lifting) by pulling
a plastic pull for a window shade
a wooden pull for a desk drawer
5.
a. : a force that attracts, compels, or influences : attraction
writes of the natural world with scientific accuracy and the pull of humor — N.J.Berrill
a being constantly torn between the pull of desires on the one hand and the demands of reason on the other — O.A.Johnson
b. : the ability to arouse public interest or stimulate public demand
an actress with great box-office pull
an advertising slogan with tremendous pull
c. : a response to an advertisement or advertising campaign
a mail pull heavy enough to make any sponsor drool — New Republic
6. : the length of a shotgun stock measured by the distance between the front of the trigger and the center of the butt plate
7.
a. — used as a skeet shooter's command for the release of the high-house target; compare mark I 1c(7)
b. — used as a trapshooter's command for the release of the target
III. intransitive verb
or pull out the stops or pull the rug out from under
1. of an offensive lineman in football : to move back from the line of scrimmage toward one flank to provide blocking for a ballcarrier
2. : to work together to achieve a goal
pulling with them to get the bill passed
•
- pull one's coat
- pull out all the stops
- pull the plug
- pull the rug from under
IV. noun
: an injury resulting from abnormal straining or stretching especially of a muscle — see groin pull herein