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pull

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To pull is defined as to make something move toward something else by tugging or dragging.

(verb)

An example of pull is hitching a trailer to a car and moving it down the street.
An example of pull is someone bringing a door toward themselves to open it.

See pull in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

to exert force or influence on so as to cause to move toward or after the source of the force; drag, tug, draw, attract, etc.
1. to draw out; pluck out; extract: to pull a tooth
2. to pick or uproot: to pull carrots
to draw apart; rip; tear: to pull a seam
☆ to stretch (taffy, etc.) back and forth repeatedly
to stretch or strain to the point of injury: to pull a muscle
☆ Informal to put into effect; carry out; perform: to pull a raid
Informal to hold back; restrain: to pull one's punches
Informal
1. ☆ to take (a gun, knife, etc.) from concealment so as to threaten
2. to take or force off or out; remove: to pull a wheel from a car
Dialectal to draw the entrails from (a fowl)
Baseball, Golf to hit (the ball) and make it go to the left or, if left-handed, to the right
Horse Racing to rein in or restrain (a horse) so as to keep it from winning
Printing to take (a proof) on a hand press
Rowing
1. to work (an oar) by drawing it toward one
2. to propel or transport by rowing

Origin: ME pullen < OE pullian, to pluck, snatch with the fingers: ? akin to MLowG pull, a husk, shell

intransitive verb

to exert force in or for dragging, tugging, or attracting something
to take a deep draft of a drink or puff at a cigarette, etc.
to be capable of being pulled
to move or drive a vehicle (away, ahead, around, out, etc.)
☆ Football to run behind, and parallel to, the line of scrimmage, as to provide blocking for a ballcarrier: said of an offensive lineman

noun

the act, force, or result of pulling; specif.,
1. a dragging, tugging, attracting, etc.
2. the act or an instance of rowing
3. a drink
4. a puff at a cigarette, etc.
5. a difficult, continuous effort, as in climbing
6. the force needed to move a weight, trigger, etc., measured in pounds
something to be pulled, as the handle of a drawer, etc.
☆ Informal
1. influence or special advantage
2. drawing power; appeal

Related Forms:

puller noun

See pull in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb pulled, pull·ing, pulls

verb, transitive

To apply force to so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the source of the force.
To remove from a fixed position; extract: The dentist pulled the tooth.
To tug at; jerk or tweak.
To rip or tear; rend.
To stretch (taffy, for example) repeatedly.
To strain (a muscle, for example) injuriously.
Informal To attract; draw: a performer who pulls large crowds.
Slang To draw out (a weapon) in readiness for use: pull a gun; pulled a knife on me.
Informal To remove: pulled the engine; pulled the tainted meat product from the stores.
Sports To hit (a ball) so that it moves in the direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.
Nautical
a. To operate (an oar) in rowing.
b. To transport or propel by rowing.
c. To be rowed by: That boat pulls six oars.
To rein in (a horse) to keep it from winning a race.
Printing To produce (a print or an impression) from type.

verb, intransitive

To exert force in moving something toward the source of the force.
To drink or inhale deeply: pulled on the cold beer with gusto; pull on a cigarette.
Nautical To row a boat.
Informal To express or feel great sympathy or empathy: We're pulling for our new president.

noun

The act or process of pulling.
Force exerted in pulling or required to overcome resistance in pulling.
A sustained effort: a long pull across the mountains.
Something, such as a knob on a drawer, that is used for pulling.
A deep inhalation or draft, as on a cigarette or of a beverage.
Slang A means of gaining special advantage; influence: The lobbyist has pull with the senator.
Informal Ability to draw or attract; appeal: a star with pull at the box office.

Phrasal Verbs: pull ahead To move ahead, as in a race. pull away To move away or backward; withdraw: The limousine pulled away from the curb. To move ahead: The horse pulled away and took the lead in the race. pull back To withdraw or retreat. pull down To demolish; destroy: pull down an old office building. To reduce to a lower level. To depress, as in spirits or health. Informal To draw (money) as wages: pulls down a hefty salary. pull in To arrive at a destination: We pulled in at midnight. To rein in; restrain. To arrest (a criminal suspect, for example). pull off Informal To perform in spite of difficulties or obstacles; bring off: pulled off a last-minute victory. pull out To leave or depart: The train pulls out at noon. To withdraw, as from a situation or commitment: After the crash, many Wall Street investors pulled out. pull over To bring a vehicle to a stop at a curb or at the side of a road: We pulled over to watch the sunset. To instruct or force (a motorist) to bring his or her vehicle to a stop at a curb or at the side of a road: The state trooper pulled the speeding motorist over. pull round To restore or be restored to sound health. pull through To come or bring successfully through trouble or illness. pull up To bring or come to a halt. To move to a position or place ahead, as in a race.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English pullen

Origin: , from Old English pullian

Related Forms: