pull

Definitions

1. 1.2. To draw apart; to tear; to rend. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. Lam. iii.
2. 2.3. To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; to pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch.
3. 3.To move or operate by the motion of drawing towards one; as, to pull a bell; to pull an oar.
4. 4.(Horse Racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning; as, the favorite was pulled.
5. 5.(Print.) To take or make, as a proof or impression; -- hand presses being worked by pulling a lever.
6. 6.(Cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. See Pull, n., 8. Never pull a straight fast ball to leg. R. H. Lyttelton. To pull and haul, to draw hither and thither. " Both are equally pulled and hauled to do that which they are unable to do. " South. -- To pull down, to demolish; to destroy; to degrade; as, to pull down a house. " In political affairs, as well as mechanical, it is easier to pull down than build up." Howell. " To raise the wretched, and pull down the proud." Roscommon. To pull a finch. See under Finch. To pull off, take or draw off.
7. 7.To exert one's self in an act or motion of drawing or hauling; to tug; as, to pull at a rope. To pull apart, to become separated by pulling; as, a rope will pull apart. -- To pull up, to draw the reins; to stop; to halt. To pull through, to come successfully to the end of a difficult undertaking, a dangerous sickness, or the like.
8. 8.The act of pulling or drawing with force; an effort to move something by drawing toward one. I awakened with a violent pull upon the ring which was fastened at the top of my box. Swift.
9. 9.A contest; a struggle; as, a wrestling pull. Carew.
10. 10.A pluck; loss or violence suffered. [Poetic] Two pulls at once; His lady banished, and a limb lopped off. Shak.
11. 11.A knob, handle, or lever, etc., by which anything is pulled; as, a drawer pull; a bell pull.
12. 12.The act of rowing; as, a pull on the river. [Colloq.]
13. 13.The act of drinking; as, to take a pull at the beer, or the mug. [Slang] Dickens.
14. 14.Something in one's favor in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing; as, in weights the favorite had the pull. [Slang]
15. 15.(Cricket) A kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side. The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket. R. A. Proctor.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "pull" mean?
• What is another word for "pull"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is pull.

• What is 2. To draw apart; to tear; to rend. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. Lam. iii called?
• What is 3. To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; to pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch called?
• What is to move or operate by the motion of drawing towards one; as, to pull a bell; to pull an oar called?
• What is to hold back, and so prevent from winning; as, the favorite was pulled called?
• What is to take or make, as a proof or impression; -- hand presses being worked by pulling a lever called?
• What is the act of pulling or drawing with force; an effort to move something by drawing toward one. I awakened with a violent pull upon the ring which was fastened at the top of my box. Swift called?
• What is a contest; a struggle; as, a wrestling pull. Carew called?
• What is a pluck; loss or violence suffered. [Poetic] Two pulls at once; His lady banished, and a limb lopped off. Shak called?
• What is a knob, handle, or lever, etc., by which anything is pulled; as, a drawer pull; a bell pull called?
• What is the act of rowing; as, a pull on the river. [Colloq.] called?
• What is the act of drinking; as, to take a pull at the beer, or the mug. [Slang] Dickens called?
• What is something in one's favor in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing; as, in weights the favorite had the pull. [Slang] called?
• What is a kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side. The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket. R. A. Proctor called?