Pull
Origin
From Middle English pullen, from Old English pullian ("to pull, draw, tug, pluck off"). Related to Middle Dutch pullen ("to drink"), Low German pulen ("to pick, pluck, pull, tear, strip off husks"), Icelandic púla ("to work hard, beat").
Full definition of pull
Verb
- (transitive) to apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force
- Bible, Genesis viii. 9He put forth his hand ... and pulled her in.
- ShakespeareNe'er pull your hat upon your brows.
- To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck.to pull fruit from a tree; to pull flax; to pull a finch
- (intransitive) to apply a force such that an object comes toward the person or thing applying the forceYou're going to have to pull harder to get that cork out of the bottle.
- To attract or net; to pull in.
- Marcella Ridlen Ray, Changing and Unchanging Face of United States Civil SocietyTelevision, a favored source of news and information, pulls the largest share of advertising monies.
- To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
- Bible, Lam. iii. 11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
- (ambitransitive, UK, Ireland, slang) to persuade (someone) to have sex with oneI pulled at the club last night.He's pulled that bird over there.
- (transitive) to remove (something), especially from public circulation or availabilityEach day, they pulled the old bread and set out fresh loaves.
- (transitive, informal) to do or performHe regularly pulls 12-hour days, sometimes 14.You'll be sent home if you pull another stunt like that.
- (transitive) to retrieve or generate for useI'll have to pull a part number for that.
- 2006, Michael Bellomo, Joel Elad, How to Sell Anything on Amazon...and Make a Fortune!They'll go through their computer system and pull a report of all your order fulfillment records for the time period you specify.
- to toss a frisbee with the intention of launching the disc across the length of a field
- (intransitive) to row
- 1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life Chapter VIIt had been a sort of race hitherto, and the rowers, with set teeth and compressed lips, had pulled stroke for stroke.
- (transitive) To strain (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc.).
- (video games, ambitransitive) To draw (a hostile non-player character) into combat, or toward or away from some location or target.
- 2003 April 9, "Richard Lawson" (username), "Monual's Willful Ignorance", in alt.games.everquest
- …we had to clear a long hallway, run up half way, pull the boss mob to us, and engage.
- 2004 October 18, "Stush" (username), "Re: focus pull", in alt.games.dark-age-of-camelot
- Basically buff pet, have it pull lots of mobs, shield pet, chain heal pet, have your aoe casters finish off hurt mobs once pet gets good aggro.
- 2005 August 2, "Brian" (username), "Re: How to tank Stratholme undead pulls?", in alt.games.warcraft
- This is the only thing that should get you to break off from your position, is to pull something off the healer.
- 2007 April 10, "John Salerno" (username), "Re: Managing the Command Buttons", in alt.games.warcraft
- You could also set a fire trap, pull the mob toward it, then send in your pet….
- 2008 August 18, "Mark (newsgroups)" (username), "Re: I'm a priest now!", in alt.games.warcraft
- Shield yourself, pull with Mind Blast if you want, or merely pull with SW:P to save mana, then wand, fear if you need to, but use the lowest rank fear.
- to score a certain amount of points in a sport.
- How many points did you pull today, Albert?
- (horse-racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning.The favourite was pulled.
- (printing, dated) To take or make (a proof or impression); so called because hand presses were worked by pulling a lever.
- (cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. (See noun sense.)
- R. H. LytteltonNever pull a straight fast ball to leg.
- (UK, slang) To pour beer from a pump, keg, or other source.Let's stop at Finnigan's. The barkeep pulls a good pint.
Synonyms
- (apply force to (something) so it comes toward) drag, tow, tug, yank
- (slang: to persuade to have sex with one) score
- (to remove from circulation) recall, withdraw, yank
- (to do, to perform) carry out, complete, do, execute, perform
- (to retrieve or generate for use) generate, get, get hold of, get one's hands on, lay one's hands on, obtain, retrieve
- (to succeed in finding a person with whom to have sex.) score
Derived terms
See also pullingNoun
pull
(plural pulls)- An act of pulling (applying force)He gave the hair a sharp pull and it came out.
- Jonathan SwiftI awakened with a violent pull upon the ring which was fastened at the top of my box.
- An attractive force which causes motion towards the sourceThe spaceship came under the pull of the gas giant.iron fillings drawn by the pull of a magnetShe took a pull on her cigarette.
- Any device meant to be pulled, as a lever, knob, handle, or ropea zipper pull
- (slang, dated) Something in one's favour in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing.In weights the favourite had the pull.
- Appeal or attraction (as of a movie star)
- (Internet, uncountable) The situation where a client sends out a request for data from a server, as in server pull, pull technology
- A journey made by rowing
- 1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life Chapter VAs Blunt had said, the burning ship lay a good twelve miles from the Malabar, and the pull was a long and a weary one. Once fairly away from the protecting sides of the vessel that had borne them thus far on their dismal journey, the adventurers seemed to have come into a new atmosphere.
- (dated) A contest; a struggle.a wrestling pull
- (obsolete, poetic) Loss or violence suffered.
- ShakespeareTwo pulls at once;
His lady banished, and a limb lopped off. - (slang) The act of drinking.to take a pull at a mug of beer
- (cricket) A kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side.
- R. A. ProctorThe pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket.