pull

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To take hold of something and move it toward you or in the same direction as yourself.

   She pulled the door open and stepped inside.

2. 2
   verb

   To injure a muscle by stretching it too far.

   I pulled a muscle in my leg when I jumped up.

3. 3
   noun

   The act or force of pulling something.

   She gave the rope a hard pull.

4. 4
   noun

   Special influence or advantage that helps you get what you want.

   The chairman's nephew has a lot of pull in the company.

Common collocations

• pull the handle Verb + noun
• gravitational pull Adjective + noun

Verb from Middle English pullen, from Old English pullian (“to pull, draw, tug, pluck off”), of uncertain ultimate origin. Related to West Frisian pûlje (“to shell, husk”), Middle Dutch pullen (“to drink”), Middle Dutch polen (“to peel, strip”), Low German pulen (“to pick, pluck, pull, tear, strip off husks”), Icelandic púla (“to work hard, beat”). Noun from Middle English pul, pull, pulle, from the verb pullen (“to pull”).

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