Pluck

Pronunciation

• IPA: /plÊŒk/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒk

Origin

From Middle English plucken, plukken, plockien, from Old English pluccian, ploccian ("to pluck, pull away, tear"), also Old English plyċċan

Modern English plitch}, from Proto-Germanic *plukkōną, *plukkijaną ("to pluck"), of uncertain and disputed origin. Perhaps related to Old English pullian ("to pull, draw; pluck off; snatch"). Cognate with Dutch plukken ("to pluck"), Limburgish plógte ("to pluck"), Low German plukken ("to pluck"), German pflücken ("to pluck, pick"), Danish plukke ("to pick"), Swedish plocka ("to pick, pluck, cull"), Icelandic plokka, plukka ("to pluck, pull"). More at pull.

An alternate etymology suggests Proto-Germanic *plukkōną, *plukkijaną may have been borrowed from an assumed Vulgar Latin *piluccāre, *pilicāre, a derivative of Latin pilāre ("to deprive of hair, make bald, depilate"), from pilus ("hair"). The Oxford English Dictionary, however, finds difficulties with this and cites gaps in historical evidence.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pluck

The noun sense of "heart, liver, and lights of an animal" comes from it being plucked out of the carcas after the animal is killed; the sense of "fortitude, boldness" derives from this meaning, originally being a boxing slang denoting a prize-ring, with semantic development from "heart", the symbol of courage, to "fortitude, boldness".

Full definition of pluck

Verb

1. (transitive) To pull something sharply; to pull something out
   She plucked the phone from her bag and dialled.
• 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter I,The girl stooped to pluck a rose, and as she bent over it, her profile was clearly outlined.
2. (transitive, music) To gently play a single string, e.g. on a guitar, violin etc.
   Whereas a piano strikes the string, a harpsichord plucks it.
3. (transitive) To remove feathers from a bird.
• 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher Chapter 1, Molly the dairymaid came a little way from the rickyard, and said she would pluck the pigeon that very night after work.
4. (transitive) To rob, fleece, steal forcibly
   The horny highwayman plucked his victims to their underwear, or attractive ones all the way.
5. (transitive) To play a string instrument pizzicato
   Plucking a bow instrument may cause a string to break.
6. (intransitive) To pull or twitch sharply.
   to pluck at somebody's sleeve
7. (UK, universities) To reject at an examination for degrees.

Derived terms

• plucker
• plucking
• pluck up

Noun

1. An instance of plucking''Those tiny birds are hardly worth the tedious pluck
2. The lungs, heart with trachea and often oesophagus removed from slaughtered animals.
3. Guts, nerve, fortitude or persistence.He didn't get far with the attempt, but you have to admire his pluck.

Derived terms

• plucky

Anagrams

• UK plc