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pluck

pluck [ pluk ]


verb  (past and past participle plucked, present participle pluck·ing, 3rd person present singular plucks)
Definition:
 
1. transitive verb take something away quickly: to take something away swiftly, often by means of skill or strength

2. transitive verb quickly remove feathers or hair: to pull out by the roots some or all of the feathers or hair from a bird or other animal

3. transitive verb pull something off or out: to pull something off or out of something else, e.g. fruit from a tree
plucking flowers

4. transitive verb take something casually: to select something randomly or with no obvious reason

5. transitive and intransitive verb tug at something: to tug quickly at something
felt someone plucking at my sleeve

6. transitive verb music pull and release strings: to play a stringed musical instrument by quickly pulling and releasing strings with a finger or plectrum



noun  (plural plucks)
Definition:
 
1. bravery: courage and determination in meeting danger or difficulty

2. act of plucking: an act or instance of plucking something

3. food animal's heart, liver, and lungs: the heart, liver, and lungs of an animal, used as meat

[ Old English pluccian< Germanic]

pluck·er noun

Word Key: Synonyms

See courage.

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