pluck1 verbpluck2 noun
pluckpluck1 /plʌk/ ●○○ verb 
WORD ORIGINpluck1
Origin:
Old English pluccianVERB TABLE
pluck
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | pluck |
| he, she, it | plucks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | plucked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have plucked |
| he, she, it | has plucked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had plucked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will pluck |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have plucked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am plucking |
| he, she, it | is plucking | |
| you, we, they | are plucking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was plucking |
| you, we, they | were plucking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been plucking |
| he, she, it | has been plucking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been plucking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be plucking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been plucking |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- Dinah plucked out her handkerchief again, dabbed at her eyes and cleared her nose.
- Gently I reach to the side and pluck an apple off the tree, then drop it.
- She plucked the green scarf from the throat of her raincoat, spread it on top of the heap of boulders.
- She did not even like to pluck her eyebrows in his presence.
- She senses rather than sees a pass, plucking it from the air even as she looks the other way.
- They are the cache that geologists seek, and must be carefully plucked from the ocean bed.
- They finished their drinks and as they got up from the table Fernando plucked a sprig of jasmine from the pergola.
- When the Guardian arrived half an hour later, she plucked it from the letter-box with impatient hands.
WORD SETS
allspice, nounbake, verbbarbecue, verbbaste, verbblanch, verbboil, verbbottle, verbbouillon cube, nounbraise, verbbreadcrumbs, nounbreaded, adjectivebrine, nounbroil, verbbrown, verbbutter, verbcandied, adjectivecaper, nouncaramel, nouncardamom, nouncarve, verbcasserole, nouncasserole, verbcaster sugar, nouncharbroil, verbchervil, nounchestnut, nounchicory, nounchill, verbchilli powder, nounchip, verbcilantro, nouncinnamon, nounclean, verbclove, nouncochineal, nouncoconut, nouncook, verbcook, nouncookbook, nouncookery, nouncookery book, nouncordon bleu, adjectivecore, verbcoriander, nouncream, verbcrisp, verbcube, verbculinary, adjectivecumin, nouncurry powder, noundeep fry, verbdessertspoon, noundevilled, adjectivedice, verbdone, adjectivedress, verbessence, nounfat, nounflambé, adjectiveflan, nounflavouring, nounflour, nounflour, verbfrost, verbfrosting, nounfry, verbglaze, verbglaze, noungourmet, adjectivegourmet, noungrate, verbgrease, noungrease, verbgreaseproof paper, noungrill, verbgrill, noungrind, verbgut, verbhard-boiled, adjectivehaute cuisine, nounhob, nounhull, verbhusk, verbice, verbicebox, nounicing, nounicing sugar, nouningredient, nounjoint, verbknead, verblard, nounlard, verbleaven, nounliquidize, verbmarinade, nounmarinate, verbmarjoram, nounmicrowave, verbmince, verbmincer, nounmint, nounmix, verbmix, nounnouvelle cuisine, nounnutmeg, nounoil, nounolive oil, nounoverdone, adjectiveparboil, verbpare, verbpickle, verbpipe, verbpit, verbpitted, adjectivepkt, pluck, verbplum tomato, nounpoach, verbprecooked, adjectivepreheat, verbprep, verbprove, verbrecipe, nounreduce, verbrice paper, nounrind, nounrise, verbroast, verbroast, nounroast, adjectiverosemary, nounroux, nounsaffron, nounsage, nounsalt, nounsalt, verbsauce, nounsausage meat, nounsauté, verbsavory, nounscalloped, adjectivesear, verbseason, verbseasoning, nounself-raising flour, nounself-rising flour, nounsesame, nounshell, verbshortening, nounshort-order cook, nounshuck, verbsieve, verbsift, verbsifter, nounsimmer, verbsimmer, nounskewer, verbsmoke, verbsoak, verbsoda, nounsodium bicarbonate, nounspice, nounspice, verbspicy, adjectivestarch, nounsteam, verbsteep, verbstew, verbstock, nounstone, verbstrain, verbstuff, verbstuffing, nounsunny-side up, adjectivesweat, verbsweet-and-sour, adjectiveTabasco, nountandoori, adjectivetarragon, nountbsp, teaspoon, nountenderize, verbtenderloin, nountextured vegetable protein, nounthaw, verbthyme, nountimer, nountoast, nountoast, verbtoss, verbtruss, verbtsp, turmeric, noununderdone, adjectivevinaigrette, nounvinegar, nounwhip, verbwhisk, verbyeast, nounzap, verbzest, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
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.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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. (=try to find it)· He was trying to pluck up the courage to end their relationship.
(=to take someone or something that is not known about and make them well-known)· The actress has been plucked from obscurity to become the new Bond girl.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· It turned Lucifer's skin into black scales and plucked off his wings.· Matt pulled him into the room, plucked off his glasses and shoved him on to the bed.· One of the theories about the abandoned ship Marie Celeste is that the crew were plucked off by a hungry kraken.· He was immediately plucked off and we plunged downwards, drowning in a tidal wave of powder snow.
· Benjamin then dug his hand into the empty manger and plucked out the remains of the horse's feed.· He soon fell asleep, but woke with a start when his grandmother plucked out a hair.· Dinah plucked out her handkerchief again, dabbed at her eyes and cleared her nose.· Feeling an itch under her waistband, Fourth Aunt reached down and plucked out something fat and meaty.· The Keeper of the Shrine of Asuryan plucked out his eyes but even this did not stop the terrible visions.· In fact, they seemed very much like characters plucked out of a novel.· Blackbirds have been riffling through the feather moss, plucking out chunks and scattering it about like bright green mattress stuffing.· A Medic plucked out a needle-pistol and fired with splendid accuracy at Bjortson's muscle-corded neck.
· But why not pluck up the courage to do what you've always wanted?· She plucked up the nerve to ask him.· A year later, I plucked up my courage and became pregnant once more.· I think you should pluck up the courage to invite him out.· After a while, too, some of the more literary residents of Princeton plucked up the courage to speak to him.· Kent suspected that if the fellow ever did pluck up courage to call he would be disappointed.· On three occasions he had plucked up the courage to call her, but had never had a reply.· Eventually I plucked up courage and booked a ticket to Amsterdam with the sole purpose of getting laid.
NOUN· She senses rather than sees a pass, plucking it from the air even as she looks the other way.· Conversations can and have been plucked from the air by eavesdroppers with scanners.
· But why not pluck up the courage to do what you've always wanted?· A year later, I plucked up my courage and became pregnant once more.· I think you should pluck up the courage to invite him out.· After a while, too, some of the more literary residents of Princeton plucked up the courage to speak to him.· Kent suspected that if the fellow ever did pluck up courage to call he would be disappointed.· On three occasions he had plucked up the courage to call her, but had never had a reply.· Eventually I plucked up courage and booked a ticket to Amsterdam with the sole purpose of getting laid.· Nelly begged me not to leave her, and plucking up courage I stayed.
· She could even pluck her eyebrows!· She did not even like to pluck her eyebrows in his presence.· She used lipstick and had plucked eyebrows and wore bright hats.· Because you can lose your mind staying in two rooms, and so I fix my hair and pluck my eyebrows.
· Mary O'Callaghan was plucked to safety by firefighters from her first-floor flat on the High Street on Saturday morning.· Firemen waded through waist-high water to pluck 50 more to safety.· The scalding flood swamped hundreds of homes and many people were plucked to safety by helicopter.
VERB· On impulse, Guy reached up and plucked the bud, avoiding the surrounding thorns.· Feeling an itch under her waistband, Fourth Aunt reached down and plucked out something fat and meaty.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► pluck something out of the air
1pull something [transitive] written to pull something quickly in order to remove itpluck something from/off etc something- Because you can lose your mind staying in two rooms, and so I fix my hair and pluck my eyebrows.
- She could even pluck her eyebrows!
- She did not even like to pluck her eyebrows in his presence.
- After a while, too, some of the more literary residents of Princeton plucked up the courage to speak to him.
- But eventually, he plucked up courage to see a solicitor.
- But why not pluck up the courage to do what you've always wanted?
- Eventually I plucked up courage and booked a ticket to Amsterdam with the sole purpose of getting laid.
- I think you should pluck up the courage to invite him out.
- Kent suspected that if the fellow ever did pluck up courage to call he would be disappointed.
- Nelly begged me not to leave her, and plucking up courage I stayed.
- On three occasions he had plucked up the courage to call her, but had never had a reply.
He plucked a couple of plastic bags from the roll. Reaching up, she plucked an apple off the tree.2pluck your eyebrows to make your eyebrows the shape you want, by pulling out some of the hairs3take somebody/something away [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to take someone away from a place or situation that is dangerous or unpleasant in a quick and unexpected waypluck somebody/something from/out of something 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.4chicken [transitive] to pull the feathers off a dead chicken or other bird before cooking it5pluck up (the) courage (to do something) to force yourself to be brave and do something you are afraid of doing: He finally plucked up enough courage to ask her out.6music [intransitive, transitive] to pull the strings of a musical instrumentpluck at Someone was plucking at the strings of an old guitar.7pluck something out of the air (also pluck something 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 something phrasal verb 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.pluck1 verbpluck2 noun
pluckpluck2 noun [uncountable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- It takes a lot of pluck to do what he's done.
- All pluck and pomp, it rang throughout the hall in dulcet tones as never before.
- But luck was replaced by pluck and you won't see a finer display of it than last night.
- But, while Owens was a symbol of pluck during the flood, she also was a symbol of the flood.
- Collier and Leighton gush a bit too much for my taste, as though anyone with enough pluck can publish a book.
- Even Isay unbent a little, and grinned at a raven-haired wench when she made a lewd pluck at his staff.
- Like the relievers, hitters Steve Finley and Greg Vaughn showed pluck.
- Reality's raw challenge, especially if it engaged muscle and pluck, was his more favoured companion.
- The focus is on gallantry, derring-do, honest pluck.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It takes a lot of pluck to stand up to a bully.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
old-fashioned courage and determination: It takes a lot of pluck to stand up to a bully. (=try to find it)· He was trying to pluck up the courage to end their relationship.
(=to take someone or something that is not known about and make them well-known)· The actress has been plucked from obscurity to become the new Bond girl.
It takes a lot of pluck to stand up to a bully.