pluck
To pull something sharply; to pull something out
Example
“She plucked the phone from her bag and dialled.”
Other meanings
To take or remove (someone) quickly from a particular place or situation.
To play (a single string on a musical instrument) by pulling and then releasing it, such as on a guitar.
“Whereas a piano strikes the string, a harpsichord plucks it.”
Synonyms
- pull off
- pick off
Related words
- mispluck
- overpluck
- pluckable
- pluckee
- uppluck
- crow to pluck
- ear plucking
- have a crow to pluck
- pluck-buffet
- plucker
- plucking
- pluck out
Word history
From Old English "pluccian".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “pluck” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.