pull
/pʊl/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.82 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
Intransitive verb; Transitive verb
verb
To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck or pick (flowers, fruit, etc.).
verb
To interest (someone) in dating or pursuing one (whether or not this has led to sex).
American usage; Slang
verb
To remove or withdraw (something), especially from public circulation or availability.
Transitive verb
verb
To obtain (a permit) from a regulatory authority.
Example Sentences
- "When I give the signal, pull the rope."
- "Pull your belt tight before starting off, will you?"
- "He put forth his hand […] and pulled her in."
- "Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows."
- "All the gravitational mass of the earth pulls toward a single point at the planet's center, overwhelming the miniscule pull of other objects."
- "to pull fruit from a tree"
Etymology
Verb from Middle English pullen, from Old English pullian (“to pull, draw, tug, pluck off”), of uncertain ultimate origin. Related to West Frisian pûlje (“to shell, husk”), Middle Dutch pullen (“to drink”), Middle Dutch polen (“to peel, strip”), Low German pulen (“to pick, pluck, pull, tear, strip off husks”), Icelandic púla (“to work hard, beat”). Noun from Middle English pul, pull, pulle, from the verb pullen (“to pull”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /pʊl/
- British English: /pʊl/
Usage
- Intransitive verb
- Transitive verb
- British usage
- Slang
- American usage
- Informal
- Dated
- Countable
Inflected Forms
pulls (present, singular)
pulling (participle, present)
pulled (participle, past)
pulled (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
pulled (first person, past)
pullest (archaic, present)
pulled (past, second person)
pulledst (archaic, past)
pulleth (archaic, present)
pulled (past, singular)