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[poo l] /pʊl/

verb (used with object)
1.
to draw or haul toward oneself or itself, in a particular direction, or into a particular position:
to pull a sled up a hill.
2.
to draw or tug at with force.
3.
to rend or tear:
to pull a cloth to pieces.
4.
to draw or pluck away from a place of growth, attachment, etc.:
to pull a tooth; to pull weeds.
5.
to strip of feathers, hair, etc., as a bird or hide.
6.
to draw out (as a knife or gun) for ready use (usually followed by on):
Do you know what to do when someone pulls a knife on you?
7.
Informal. to perform successfully (often followed by off):
They pulled a spectacular coup.
8.
Informal. to carry out (especially something deceitful or illegal):
Police believe the men pulled all three robberies. What kind of trick did she pull this time?
9.
to put on or affect:
He pulled a long face when I reprimanded him.
10.
to withdraw or remove:
to pull an ineffective pitcher.
11.
to attract or win:
to pull many votes in the industrial areas.
12.
to bring (a horse) to a stand by pulling on the reins.
13.
Printing, Graphics. to take (an impression or proof) from type, a cut or plate, etc.:
to pull a print.
14.
to be provided with or rowed with (a certain number of oars):
This boat pulls 12 oars.
15.
to propel by rowing, as a boat.
16.
to strain (a muscle, ligament, or tendon).
17.
Military. to be assigned (a specific task or duty):
I pulled guard duty our first night in port.
18.
to hold in or check (a racehorse), especially so as to prevent from winning.
19.
Sports. to hit (a ball) so that it travels in a direction opposite to the side from which it was struck, as when a right-handed batter hits into left field.
verb (used without object)
20.
to exert a drawing, tugging, or hauling force (often followed by at).
21.
to inhale through a pipe, cigarette, etc.
22.
to become or come as specified, by being pulled:
This rope will pull.
23.
to row.
24.
to proceed by rowing.
25.

noun
26.
the act of pulling or drawing.
27.
force used in pulling; pulling power.
28.
a drawing in of smoke or a liquid through the mouth:
He took a long, thoughtful pull on his pipe; I took a pull from the scout’s canteen.
29.
Informal. influence, as with persons able to grant favors.
30.
a part or thing to be pulled; a handle or the like:
to replace the pulls on a chest of drawers.
31.
a spell, or turn, at rowing.
32.
a stroke of an oar.
33.
Informal. a pulled muscle:
He missed a week’s work with a groin pull.
34.
a pulling of the ball, as in baseball or golf.
35.
Informal. the ability to attract; drawing power.
36.
Informal. an advantage over another or others.
Verb phrases
37.
pull away,

38.
pull down,

39.
pull for, to support actively; encourage:
They were pulling for the Republican candidate.
40.
pull in,

41.
pull off, Informal. to perform successfully, especially something requiring courage, daring, or shrewdness:
We’ll be rich if we can pull the deal off.
42.
pull out,

43.
pull over, to direct one’s automobile or other vehicle to the curb; move out of a line of traffic:
The police officer told the driver to pull over.
44.
pull through, to come safely through (a crisis, illness, etc.); survive:
The patient eventually pulled through after having had a close brush with death.
45.
pull up,

Idioms
46.
pull apart, to analyze critically, especially to point out errors:
The professor proceeded to pull the student’s paper apart.
47.
pull oneself together, to recover one’s self-control; regain command of one’s emotions:
It was only a minor accident, but the driver couldn’t seem to pull himself together.
48.
pull someone’s leg. (def 24).
49.
pull the plug. (def 35).
/pʊl/
verb (mainly transitive)
1.
(also intransitive) to exert force on (an object) so as to draw it towards the source of the force
2.
to exert force on so as to remove; extract: to pull a tooth
3.
to strip of feathers, hair, etc; pluck
4.
to draw the entrails from (a fowl)
5.
to rend or tear
6.
to strain (a muscle, ligament, or tendon) injuriously
7.
(usually foll by off) (informal) to perform or bring about: to pull off a million-pound deal
8.
(often foll by on) (informal) to draw out (a weapon) for use: he pulled a knife on his attacker
9.
(informal) to attract: the pop group pulled a crowd
10.
(also intransitive) (slang) to attract (a sexual partner)
11.
(intransitive; usually foll by on or at) to drink or inhale deeply: to pull at one’s pipe, pull on a bottle of beer
12.
to put on or make (a grimace): to pull a face
13.
(also intransitive; foll by away, out, over, etc) to move (a vehicle) or (of a vehicle) be moved in a specified manner: he pulled his car away from the roadside
14.
(printing) to take (a proof) from type
15.
to withdraw or remove: the board decided to pull their support
16.
(sport) to hit (a ball) so that it veers away from the direction in which the player intended to hit it (to the left for a right-handed player)
17.
(cricket) to hit (a ball pitched straight or on the off side) to the leg side
18.
(hurling) to strike (a fast-moving ball) in the same direction as it is already moving
19.
(also intransitive) to row (a boat) or take a stroke of (an oar) in rowing
20.
to be rowed by: a racing shell pulls one, two, four, or eight oars
21.
(of a rider) to restrain (a horse), esp to prevent it from winning a race
22.
(intransitive) (of a horse) to resist strongly the attempts of a rider to rein in or check it
23.
(slang) pull a fast one, to play a sly trick
24.
pull apart, pull to pieces, to criticize harshly
25.
(Austral, informal) pull your head in, be quiet!
26.
pull one’s punches

27.
(informal) pull one’s weight, to do one’s fair or proper share of a task
28.
(informal) pull strings, to exercise personal influence, esp secretly or unofficially
29.
(informal) pull someone’s leg, to make fun of, fool, or tease someone
noun
30.
an act or an instance of pulling or being pulled
31.
the force or effort used in pulling: the pull of the moon affects the tides on earth
32.
the act or an instance of taking in drink or smoke
33.
something used for pulling, such as a knob or handle
34.
(informal) special advantage or influence: his uncle is chairman of the company, so he has quite a lot of pull
35.
(informal) the power to attract attention or support
36.
a period of rowing
37.
a single stroke of an oar in rowing
38.
the act of pulling the ball in golf, cricket, etc
39.
the act of checking or reining in a horse
40.
the amount of resistance in a bowstring, trigger, etc
v.

c.1300, “to move forcibly by pulling, to drag,” from Old English pullian “to pluck off (wool), to draw out,” of unknown origin, perhaps related to Low German pulen “remove the shell or husk,” Frisian pûlje “to shell, husk,” Middle Dutch polen “to peel, strip,” Icelandic pula “work hard.”

Early 14c. as “to pick, pull off, gather” (fruit, flowers, berries, leaves, petals, etc.); mid-14c. as “to uproot, pull up” (of teeth, weeds, etc.). Sense of “to draw, attract” (to oneself) is from c.1400; sense of “to pluck at with the fingers” is from c.1400. Meaning “tear to pieces” is mid-15c. By late 16c. it had replaced draw in these senses. Related: Pulled; pulling.

Common in slang usages 19c.-20c.; Bartlett (1859) has to pull foot “walk fast; run;” pull it “to run.” To pull up “check a course of action” is from 1808, figurative of the lifting of the reins in horse-riding. To pull (someone’s) chain in figurative sense is from 1974, perhaps on the notion of a captive animal; the expression was also used for “to contact” (someone), on the notion of the chain that operates a signaling mechanism.

To pull (someone’s) leg is from 1882, perhaps on notion of “playfully tripping” (cf. pull the long bow “exaggerate,” 1830, and pulling someone’s leg also sometimes was described as a way to awaken a sleeping person in a railway compartment, ship’s berth, etc.). Thornton’s “American Glossary” (1912) has pull (n.) “a jest” (to have a pull at (someone)), which it identifies as “local” and illustrates with an example from the Massachusetts “Spy” of May 21, 1817, which identifies it as “a Georgian phrase.” To pull (one’s) punches is from 1920 in pugilism, from 1921 figuratively. To pull in “arrive” (1892) and pull out “depart” (1868) are from the railroads.

To pull (something) off “accomplish, succeed at” is originally in sporting, “to win the prize money” (1870). To pull (something) on (someone) is from 1916; to pull (something) out of one’s ass is Army slang from 1970s. To pull rank is from 1919; to pull the rug from under (someone) figuratively is from 1946.
n.

c.1300, “a fishing net;” mid-14c., “a turn at pulling,” from pull (v.). From mid-15c. as “an act of pulling.” Meaning “personal or private influence” is by 1889, American English, from earlier sense “power to pull (and not be pulled by)” a rival or competitor (1580s).

Related Terms

wire-puller

noun

verb

Related Terms

leg-pull