pull

Etymology

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”).

verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
   When I give the signal, pull the rope.
   You're going to have to pull harder to get that cork out of the bottle.
2. To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck.
   to pull fruit from a tree
   pull flax
   pull a finch
3. (transitive) To attract or net; to pull in.
   Television, a favored source of news and information, pulls the largest share of advertising monies. 2002, Marcella Ridlen Ray, Changing and Unchanging Face of United States Civil Society
   While the pimp can always pull a ho with his magnetism, he can never pull a nun. The nun is too in touch with her own compassionate and honest spirit to react to a spirit as negative and deceitful as that of the pimp. 2011, Russell Simmons, Chris Morrow, Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All
4. (transitive, intransitive, UK, Ireland, slang) To persuade (someone) to have sex with one: to be 'on the pull' - looking for a sexual partner.
   I pulled at the club last night.
   He's pulled that bird over there.
   Everyone was on the pull, determined to have a bit of a holiday fling. 2016, Louie O'Brien, Hasta La Flip Flops!
5. (transitive) To remove (something), especially from public circulation or availability.
   Each day, they pulled the old bread and set out fresh loaves.
   The book was due to be released today, but it was pulled at the last minute over legal concerns.
6. (transitive) To retrieve or generate for use.
   I'll have to pull a part number for that.
   This computer file is incorrect. Can we pull the old version from your backups?
   They'll go through their computer system and pull a report of all your order fulfillment records for the time period you specify. 2006, Michael Bellomo, Joel Elad, How to Sell Anything on Amazon...and Make a Fortune!
7. (construction) To obtain (a permit) from a regulatory authority.
   It's the contractor's responsibility to pull the necessary permits before starting work.
8. (transitive, informal) To do or perform, especially something seen as negative by the speaker.
   He regularly pulls 12-hour days, sometimes 14.
   You'll be sent home if you pull another stunt like that.
   What are you trying to pull?
   What are you trying to pull, anyway? You say you want to sell, but you have nothing to offer?! You've got some nerve, kid! 1995, HAL Laboratory, EarthBound, Nintendo, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
   Faced with an enemy whose largest gun turrets weigh more than the entire ship, Johnston decides that running is boring, and instead pulls a full 180-degree turn and charges straight back at the attacking forces. 27 February 2019, Drachinifel, 16:22 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 2022-11-03
9. (with 'a' and the name of a person, place, event, etc.) To copy or emulate the actions or behaviour that is associated with the person or thing mentioned.
   He pulled an Elvis and got really fat.
   They're trying to pull a Watergate on us.
10. To toss a frisbee with the intention of launching the disc across the length of a field.
11. (intransitive) To row.
    It had been a sort of race hitherto, and the rowers, with set teeth and compressed lips, had pulled stroke for stroke. 1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life, Chapter VI
12. (transitive, rowing) To achieve by rowing on a rowing machine.
    I pulled a personal best on the erg yesterday.
13. To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
    If you are going to pull or chop the pork butt, take it out of the smoker when the meat is in the higher temperature range, put it in a large pan, and let it rest, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Using heavy-duty dinner forks, pull the pork butt to shreds. 2009, Ardie A. Davis, Chef Paul Kirk, America's Best BBQ, page 57
14. (transitive) To strain (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc.).
15. (video games, transitive, intransitive) To draw (a hostile non-player character) into combat, or toward or away from some location or target.
    …we had to clear a long hallway, run up half way, pull the boss mob to us, and engage. April 9 2003, Richard Lawson, “Monual's Willful Ignorance”, in alt.games.everquest (Usenet)
    Basically buff pet, have it pull lots of mobs, shield pet, chain heal pet, have your aoe casters finish off hurt mobs once pet gets good aggro. October 18 2004, Stush, “Re: focus pull”, in alt.games.dark-age-of-camelot (Usenet)
    This is the only thing that should get you to break off from your position, is to pull something off the healer. August 2 2005, Brian, “Re: How to tank Stratholme undead pulls?”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet)
    You could also set a fire trap, pull the mob toward it, then send in your pet…. April 10 2007, John Salerno, “Re: Managing the Command Buttons”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet)
    Shield yourself, pull with Mind Blast if you want, or merely pull with SW:P to save mana, then wand, fear if you need to, but use the lowest rank fear. August 18 2008, Mark (newsgroups), “Re: I'm a priest now!”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet)
16. (UK) To score a certain number of points in a sport.
    How many points did you pull today, Albert?
17. (horse-racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning.
    The favourite was pulled.
18. (printing, dated) To take or make (a proof or impression); so called because hand presses were worked by pulling a lever.
19. (cricket, golf) To strike the ball in a particular manner. (See noun sense.)
    Never pull a straight fast ball to leg. 1888, Robert Henry Lyttelton, Cricket, Chapter 2
20. (UK) To draw beer from a pump, keg, or other source.
    Let's stop at Finnigan's. The barman pulls a good pint.
21. (intransitive) To take a swig or mouthful of drink.
    Danny pulled at his beer and thought for a moment. 1957, Air Force Magazine, volume 40, page 128
22. (rail transportation, US, of a railroad car) To pull out from a yard or station; to leave.
23. (now chiefly Scotland, England and US regional) To pluck or pick (flowers, fruit etc.).
24. (cooking, transitive, intransitive) To repeatedly stretch taffy in order to achieve the desired stretchy texture.
25. (computing) To get the latest version of a project's source code

intj

1. (sports) Command used by a target shooter to request that the target be released/launched.

noun

1. An act of pulling (applying force toward oneself).
   He gave the hair a sharp pull and it came out.
2. An attractive force which causes motion towards the source.
   The spaceship came under the pull of the gas giant.
   iron fillings drawn by the pull of a magnet
   She took a pull on her cigarette.
3. (figurative, by extension) An advantage over somebody; a means of influencing.
   The hypnotist exerted a pull over his patients.
   Tresham's up to his eyes in dock business and town business, a regular jobmonger, he has no use for anybody who hasn't a pull. 1944, Henry Christopher Bailey, The Queen of Spades, page 72
4. (uncountable, informal) The power to influence someone or something; sway, clout.
   I don't have a lot of pull within the company.
   She wants to work in the villages, and she has a lot of pull with some ministers and there she is, like a political supervisor. 2016, Antoinette Burton, quoting Shukdev Sharma, Africa in the Indian Imagination, Duke University Press
   I have already put Matthew Williams off for a few days. He wants to see her too, but he doesn't have pull with the director. 2017, Maggie Blake, Her Haunted Past, Book Venture Publishing LLC, page 126
   If Netflix truly cared about those of us sequestered to our homes, with our shelves of beans and bad-news-addled brains, it would release either a new season of Queer Eye or another season of the similarly soothing Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat to help us bide our time. Alas, I have no pull at Netflix, and neither seems to be coming soon. 2020-03-27, Bettina Makalintal, “Samin Nosrat's 'Home Cooking' Podcast Will Make Your Quarantine Cooking Better”, in VICE, archived from the original on 2022-12-06
5. Any device meant to be pulled, as a lever, knob, handle, or rope.
   a zipper pull
6. (slang, dated) Something in one's favour in a comparison or a contest.
   In weights the favourite had the pull.
7. Appeal or attraction (e.g. of a movie star).
8. (Internet, uncountable) The situation where a client sends out a request for data from a server, as in server pull, pull technology
9. A journey made by rowing.
   1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life Chapter V As Blunt had said, the burning ship lay a good twelve miles from the Malabar, and the pull was a long and a weary one. Once fairly away from the protecting sides of the vessel that had borne them thus far on their dismal journey, the adventurers seemed to have come into a new atmosphere.
10. (dated) A contest; a struggle.
    a wrestling pull
11. An injury resulting from a forceful pull on a limb, etc.; a strain.
    They used steroids to build strength but, more importantly, to recover from strains, pulls, dislocations. 2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 162
12. (obsolete, poetic) Loss or violence suffered.
13. (colloquial) The act of drinking; a mouthful or swig of a drink.
    Heah , Sam Johnsing , jis' take a pull at dis bottle, an' it will make yo' feel better . 1882, H. Elliott McBride, Well Fixed for a Rainy Day
    Sutho took a pull at his Johnny Walker and Coke and laughed that trademark laugh of his and said: `Okay. I'll pay that all right.' 1996, Jon Byrell, Lairs, Urgers and Coat-Tuggers, Sydney: Ironbark, page 294
14. (cricket) A type of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the on side; a pull shot.
    The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket. 1887, R. A. Proctor, Longman's Magazine
15. (golf) A mishit shot which travels in a straight line and (for a right-handed player) left of the intended path.
16. (printing, historical) A single impression from a handpress.
17. (printing) A proof sheet.