pluck

pluck¹ [plʌk] v

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1¦(pull something)¦

2 pluck your eyebrows

3¦(take somebody/something away)¦

4¦(chicken)¦

5 pluck up (the) courage (to do something)

6¦(music)¦

7 pluck something out of the air

7 pluck something out of thin air

Phrasal verbs

　pluck at something

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[: Old English; Origin: pluccian]

1.) ¦(PULL SOMETHING)¦ [T]

written to pull something quickly in order to remove it

pluck sth from/off etc sth

▪ He plucked a couple of plastic bags from the roll.

▪ Reaching up, she plucked an apple off the tree.

2.) pluck your eyebrows

to make your ↑eyebrows the shape you want, by pulling out some of the hairs

3.) ¦(TAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING AWAY)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to take someone away from a place or situation that is dangerous or unpleasant in a quick and unexpected way

pluck sb/sth from/out of sth

▪ Some refugee children were plucked out of the country in a number of mercy missions.

▪ She was plucked from obscurity (=made suddenly famous) by a Hollywood film producer.

▪ Three survivors were plucked to safety after being in the sea for 7 hours.

4.) ¦(CHICKEN)¦ [T]

to pull the feathers off a dead chicken or other bird before cooking it

5.) pluck up (the) courage (to do sth)

to force yourself to be brave and do something you are afraid of doing

▪ He finally plucked up enough courage to ask her out.

6.) ¦(MUSIC)¦ [I and T]

to pull the strings of a musical instrument

pluck at

▪ Someone was plucking at the strings of an old guitar.

7.) pluck sth out of the air also pluck sth out of thin air

to say or suggest a number, name etc that you have just thought of, without thinking about it carefully

▪ I'm plucking a figure out of the air here, but let's say it'll cost about $15,000.

pluck at [pluck at sth] phr v

to pull something quickly several times with your fingers, especially because you are nervous or to attract attention

▪ Kitty's hands plucked at her black cotton skirt.

▪ The little boy plucked at her sleeve.

pluck ²

pluck² n [U]

old-fashioned courage and determination

▪ It takes a lot of pluck to stand up to a bully.