pluck

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Cooking, Music

pluck1 /plʌk/ ●○○ verb  1  pull STH 拉某物 [transitive] writtenTAKE something FROM SOMEWHERE to pull something quickly in order to remove it 揪，扯，拉pluck something from/off etc something He plucked a couple of plastic bags from the roll. 他从那一卷塑料袋里扯下几个。 Reaching up, she plucked an apple off the tree. 她往上够了够，从树上摘下一个苹果。2. pluck your eyebrows to make your eyebrows the shape you want, by pulling out some of the hairs 修拔眉毛3  take SB/STH away 带走某人/某物 [transitive always + adverb/preposition]TAKE something FROM SOMEWHERE to take someone away from a place or situation that is dangerous or unpleasant in a quick and unexpected way 解救，拯救pluck somebody/something from/out of something Some refugee children were plucked out of the country in a number of mercy missions. 在数次救助行动中有些儿童难民被拯救出那个国家。 She was plucked from obscurity (=made suddenly famous) by a Hollywood film producer. 她被一位好莱坞电影制片人发掘而一举成名。 Three survivors were plucked to safety after being in the sea for 7 hours. 在海上漂浮了七小时后，三名幸存者获救。4. chicken 鸡 [transitive]DFC to pull the feathers off a dead chicken or other bird before cooking it 拔[退]去〔死鸡或其他禽类〕的毛〔准备烹调〕5  pluck up (the) courage (to do something) BRAVEto force yourself to be brave and do something you are afraid of doing 鼓起勇气（做某事），振作精神（做某事） He finally plucked up enough courage to ask her out. 他终于鼓起勇气约她出去。6  music 音乐 [intransitive, transitive]APM to pull the strings of a musical instrument 拨（弦），弹奏pluck at Someone was plucking at the strings of an old guitar. 有人在拨弄一把旧吉他的琴弦。7  pluck something out of the air  (also pluck something out of thin air)INVENT to say or suggest a number, name etc that you have just thought of, without thinking about it carefully 随口说出〔一个数字、名字等〕 I’m plucking a figure out of the air here, but let’s say it’ll cost about $15,000. 这里我随口说一个数字，比如说这要大约15,000美元。8 pluck at something phrasal verb PULLto pull something quickly several times with your fingers, especially because you are nervous or to attract attention 〔用手指快速地多次〕揪[拉，扯]〔尤指因紧张或要引起注意〕 Kitty’s hands plucked at her black cotton skirt. 姬蒂扯了扯自己的黑色棉布裙。 The little boy plucked at her sleeve. 小男孩拉了拉她的袖子。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

pluck• They finished their drinks and as they got up from the table Fernando plucked a sprig of jasmine from the pergola.• Gently I reach to the side and pluck an apple off the tree, then drop it.• They are the cache that geologists seek, and must be carefully plucked from the ocean bed.• 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.• When the Guardian arrived half an hour later, she plucked it from the letter-box with impatient hands.• Dinah plucked out her handkerchief again, dabbed at her eyes and cleared her nose.• She plucked the green scarf from the throat of her raincoat, spread it on top of the heap of boulders.pluck somebody/something from/out of something• Roy tries an overhead pass, but the long arm of a Stanford player plucks it out of the air.pluck at• Someone was plucking at the strings of an old guitar.pluck2 noun [uncountable]  1 old-fashionedBRAVE courage and determination 勇气，果敢 It takes a lot of pluck to stand up to a bully. 不向恃强凌弱者屈服需要很大勇气。

Examples from the Corpus

pluck• All pluck and pomp, it rang throughout the hall in dulcet tones as never before.• Reality's raw challenge, especially if it engaged muscle and pluck, was his more favoured companion.• But luck was replaced by pluck and you won't see a finer display of it than last night.• Collier and Leighton gush a bit too much for my taste, as though anyone with enough pluck can publish a book.• The focus is on gallantry, derring-do, honest pluck.• Even Isay unbent a little, and grinned at a raven-haired wench when she made a lewd pluck at his staff.• It takes a lot of pluck to do what he's done.• But, while Owens was a symbol of pluck during the flood, she also was a symbol of the flood.• Like the relievers, hitters Steve Finley and Greg Vaughn showed pluck.Origin pluck1 Old English pluccian

pluck1 verbpluck2 nounChinese  

to pull Corpus to in order remove quickly something it

pluck

I

pluck¹ /plʌk/ verb1.  PULL SOMETHING  [transitive] written to pull something quickly in order to remove it
    pluck something from/off etc something
    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  [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to take someone away from a place or situation that is dangerous or unpleasant in a quick and unexpected way
    pluck 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.
4.  CHICKEN  [transitive] to pull the feathers off a dead chicken or other bird before cooking it
5. pluck 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.
6.  MUSIC  [intransitive and transitive] to pull the strings of a musical instrument
    pluck at
    Someone was plucking at the strings of an old guitar.
7. pluck 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.

II

pluck² noun [uncountable]
old-fashioned courage and determination:
    It takes a lot of pluck to stand up to a bully.