Definition of pluck - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
actiontr. pull something sharply to remove ittr.
- She plucked the flower from the garden.
2.
cookingtr. remove feathers from a birdtr.
- They plucked the chicken before cooking it.
3.
musictr./intr. play a musical instrument by pulling and releasing stringstr./intr.
- He plucked the guitar gently during the concert..
4.
couragetr. gather courage or resolvetr.
- She plucked up the courage to speak in front of the crowd..
5.
quick rescuetr. rescue someone quickly from dangertr.
- The lifeguard plucked the child from the water.
Noun
1.
actioninstance of pulling sharply
- He felt a pluck on his sleeve.
2.
braveryUK courage in difficult situationsUK
- She showed pluck by standing up to the bully.
3.
medicalDated UK the heart, liver, and lungs of an animalDated UK
- The recipe calls for lamb pluck.
Expressions with pluck
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pull at something nervously or absent-mindedly
He started to pluck at his sleeve during the interview.
say or invent something suddenly without thinking or planning
I just plucked that number out of the air.
summon positive emotion like courage
He had to pluck up the courage to speak.
find resolve to act despite fear
He finally plucked up courage and asked for a refund.
gather courage and overcome fear to face something hard
He had to pluck up his courage to ask for a promotion.
overcome fear to take action
He finally plucked up the courage to ask her out.
remove eyebrow hairs using tweezers or fingers
She likes to pluck her eyebrows every week.
having lots of courage or determination in difficult situations
She showed plenty of pluck during the competition.
need to discuss a problem or complaint with someone
I have a crow to pluck with you about yesterday.
Origin of pluck
Old English, pluccian (to pluck)
Terms with pluck included in their meaning
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Examples of pluck in a sentence
The chef plucked the herbs for the dish. She learned to pluck a duck in her cooking class. Farmers pluck turkeys before the holiday season. She plucked the harp strings delicately. He plucked a tune on his banjo. He had to pluck up the courage to ask for a raise.
They plucked up the courage to go bungee jumping. The firefighter plucked the kitten from the tree. She plucked her friend from the path of the oncoming car. A sudden pluck tightened the fishing line. She gave the cord a quick pluck. His pluck in the face of danger was admirable. Despite the odds, her pluck never wavered. The butcher prepared the pluck for sale. She examined the pluck before cooking.
View all translations of pluck
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:cueillir, traction, ...
- German:pflücken, Ruck, ...
- Italian:strappare, strattone, ...
- Spanish:arrancar, tirón, ...
- Portuguese:arrancar, puxão, ...
- Chinese:摘下, 猛拉, ...
- Japanese:摘む, ひと引き, ...
- Arabic:قَطَفَ, جَذبة, ...
- Hebrew:לִקְטוֹף, מְשִׁיכָה, ...
- Russian:срывать, рывок, ...
- Ukrainian:зривати, ривок, ...
- Hindi:तोड़ना, झटका, ...
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