pull

pull [pool]

vt.

[ME pullen < OE pullian, to pluck, snatch with the fingers: ? akin to MLowG pull, a husk, shell]

1. to exert force or influence on so as to cause to move toward or after the source of the force; drag, tug, draw, attract, etc.

2.

a) to draw out; pluck out; extract [to pull a tooth]

b) to pick or uproot [to pull carrots]

3. to draw apart; rip; tear [to pull a seam ]

☆ 4. to stretch (taffy, etc.) back and forth repeatedly

5. to stretch or strain to the point of injury [to pull a muscle ]

☆ 6. Informal to put into effect; carry out; perform [to pull a raid]

7. Informal to hold back; restrain [to pull one's punches]

8. Informal

☆ a) to take (a gun, knife, etc.) from concealment so as to threaten

b) to take or force off or out; remove [to pull a wheel from a car]

9. Dial. to draw the entrails from (a fowl)

10. Baseball Golf to hit (the ball) and make it go to the left or, if left-handed, to the right

11. Horse Racing to rein in or restrain (a horse) so as to keep it from winning

12. Printing to take (a proof) on a hand press

13. Rowing

a) to work (an oar) by drawing it toward one

b) to propel or transport by rowing

vi.

1. to exert force in or for dragging, tugging, or attracting something

2. to take a deep draft of a drink or puff at a cigarette, etc.

3. to be capable of being pulled

4. to move or drive a vehicle (away, ahead, around, out, etc.)

☆ 5. Football to run behind, and parallel to, the line of scrimmage, as to provide blocking for a ballcarrier: said of an offensive lineman

n.

1. the act, force, or result of pulling; specif.,

a) a dragging, tugging, attracting, etc.

b) the act or an instance of rowing

c) a drink

d) a puff at a cigarette, etc.

e) a difficult, continuous effort, as in climbing

f) the force needed to move a weight, trigger, etc., measured in pounds

2. something to be pulled, as the handle of a drawer, etc.

☆ 3. Informal

a) influence or special advantage

b) drawing power; appeal

——————

pull a face see MAKE A FACE (at FACE)

pull apart

to find fault with; criticize

——————

pull down

1. to tear down, demolish, or overthrow

2. to degrade; humble

3. to reduce

4. Informal to get (a specified wage, grade, etc.)

——————

☆ pull for Informal

to cheer on, or hope for success of

——————

pull in

1. to arrive

2. to draw in or hold back

3. Slang to arrest and take to police headquarters

——————

pull off

Informal to bring about, accomplish, or perform

——————

pull oneself together

to collect one's faculties; regain one's poise, courage, etc.

——————

pull out

☆ 1. to depart

☆ 2. to withdraw or retreat

☆ 3. to escape from a contract, responsibility, etc.

4. Aeron. to level out from a dive or landing approach

——————

pull over

to drive (a vehicle) to or toward the curb

——————

pull through

Informal to get through or over (an illness, difficulty, etc.)

——————

pull up

1. to uproot

2. to bring or come to a stop

3.

a) to drive (a vehicle) to a specified place

b) to make (an aircraft) nose up sharply

4. to check or rebuke

puller

n.

SYN.- PULL is the broad, general term of this list, as defined in sense 1 of the vt. above; DRAW suggests a smoother, more even motion than PULL [he drew his sword from its scabbard ]; DRAG implies the slow pulling of something heavy, connoting great resistance in the thing pulled [she dragged the desk across the floor ]; TUG suggests strenuous, often intermittent effort in pulling but does not necessarily connote success in moving the object [I tugged at the rope to no avail ]; HAUL implies sustained effort in transporting something heavy, often mechanically [to haul furniture in a truck ]; TOW¹ implies pulling by means of a rope or cable [to tow a stalled automobile ] -ANT. PUSH, SHOVE