pull someone's leg

To make a playful attempt to hoax or deceive someone

shake a leg (informal)

To hurry up

show a leg

1. To make an appearance
2. To get up

upon one's legs

In an independent position

pull /pŭl/

transitive verb

1. To pluck
2. To remove by plucking
3. To extract
4. To pick by hand
5. To strip, deprive of feathers, hair, etc
6. To draw or drag
7. To move, or try or tend to move, towards oneself or in the direction so thought of
8. To make, or cause to be, by pulling
9. To row
10. To transport by rowing
11. To move in a particular direction when driving (usu with out, over, etc)
12. To stretch
13. To hold back (eg a blow in boxing, or a racehorse to prevent its winning; see also pull up below)
14. To take as an impression or proof, orig by pulling the bar of a hand-press (printing)
15. To hit (the ball) too much to the left for a right-handed player, or to the right for a left-handed player (golf)
16. To hit (the ball) with a horizontal bat from waist height round onto the legside (cricket)
17. To bring down
18. To take a drink of
19. To draw or fire (a weapon)
20. To snatch or steal (slang)
21. To arrest (slang)
22. To raid (slang)
23. To succeed in forming a (sexual) relationship with (slang)
24. To attract (eg a crowd) (slang)
25. To withdraw

intransitive verb

1. To give a pull
2. To perform the action of pulling anything
3. To tear or pluck
4. To drag or draw
5. To strain at the bit
6. To exert oneself
7. To go with a pulling movement
8. To move in a particular direction, esp when in a motor vehicle (usu with away, out, over, etc)
9. To row
10. To suck
11. To succeed in initiating a sexual relationship (slang)

noun

1. An act, bout or spell of pulling
2. A pulling force
3. A row
4. A stiff ascent
5. A draught of liquor
6. A proof, a single impression (printing)
7. Advantage
8. Influence
9. An apparatus for pulling
10. The quantity pulled at one time
11. Resistance
12. A shot hit too far to the left for a right-handed player, or to the right for a left-handed player (golf)
13. An attacking stroke played with a horizontal bat where the batsman hits the ball from waist height round onto the legside (cricket)

pullˈer noun

pullˈback noun

1. A hindrance
2. A drawback
3. A retreat or withdrawal
4. A device formerly used for making a skirt hang close and straight in front (see also pull back below)

pullˈ-down adjective

1. Able or intended to be pulled down in some way or by some means
2. (of a computer menu) able to be accessed by means of the cursor or a key, and displayed over the material already on screen

pullˈ-in noun

1. A stopping-place (also adjective)
2. A transport café (see also pull in below)

pullˈ-on adjective

(of eg clothes) requiring only to be pulled on, without fastening

noun

A pull-on garment of any kind

pullˈ-out adjective

Denoting a section of a magazine, etc that can be removed and kept separately (see also pull out below)

pullˈover noun

A jersey, jumper, or other body garment put on over the head

pullˈ-tab noun

1. A ring pull, a tongue of metal with a ring attached to it, which pulls to open a beer, etc can
2. In eg illustrations, esp in children's books, a piece of paper or card attached to a part of an illustration, which can be pulled to make (that part of) the illustration move or alter in some way

pull technology noun (computing)

The acquiring of information from a server on the Internet by request (cf push technology under push¹)

pullˈ-through noun

A cord with a rag for cleaning a rifle barrel

pullˈ-up noun

1. An act of pulling up
2. A sudden stoppage
3. A suitable place (esp for lorry-drivers, etc) for pulling up
4. An exercise in which one hangs from a bar by the hands, and pulls oneself up so that one's chin is level with the bar

on the pull (slang)

1. Frequenting places such as nightclubs, pubs, etc with the intention of finding a sexual partner. pull about to distort
2. To treat roughly

pull a face

To grimace

pull a fast one on (slang)

To take advantage of by a trick

pull ahead

To move into the lead

pull apart or pull to pieces

1. To cause to break into pieces by pulling
2. To criticize harshly

pull away

1. To move into the lead
2. To withdraw

pull back

To retreat or withdraw (see also pullback above)

pull caps (archaic)

To scuffle

pull devil, pull baker

(in an argument, competition, etc) do your best, both sides

pull down

1. To take down or apart
2. To demolish
3. To bring down
4. To reduce in health or vigour
5. To cause to come down into some position by pulling or by some other means (see also pull-down above)

pull for

1. To row for
2. To support

pull in

1. To draw in
2. To make tighter
3. To draw a motor vehicle into the side of the road, or drive into the car park of a café, etc and halt (see also pull-in above)
4. To arrest
5. To earn
6. (of a train) to arrive at a station

pull off

To carry through successfully

pull oneself together

1. To regain one's self-control
2. To compose oneself, preparing to think or to act

pull one's punches see under punch¹

pull one's weight

1. To give full effect to one's weight in rowing
2. To do one's full share of work, co-operate wholeheartedly

pull out

1. To draw out
2. To drive a motor vehicle away from the side of the road or out of a line of traffic
3. (of a train) to leave a station
4. To abandon a place or situation which has become too difficult to cope with (informal; pullˈ-out noun; see also above)

pull over

To draw over to the side of the road, either to stop or to allow other vehicles to pass

pull rank see under rank¹

pull round

To bring, or come, back to good health or condition, or to consciousness

pull someone's leg see under leg

pull the long bow

To lie or boast inordinately

pull the rug from under (someone) see under rug¹

pull through

To bring or get to the end of something difficult or dangerous with some success (see also pull-through above)

pull together

To co-operate

pull up

1. To pull out of the ground
2. To tighten the reins
3. To bring to a stop
4. To halt
5. (of a horse) to be brought to a halt by the jockey or (reflexive) to stop of its own volition (horse-racing)
6. To take to task
7. To gain ground
8. To arrest

pull up stakes

To prepare to leave a place