Pull

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /pʊl/

Definitions

1. To draw something toward oneself or in a particular direction by applying force
2. To exert a force that brings an object closer or moves it in a specific direction while enticing or attracting something toward oneself
3. To exert physical effort on an object to cause it to move closer or in a chosen direction

Etymology: Old English gave us "pullian," meaning to pull, draw, tug, or pluck off, and it is a word whose deepest origins nobody can pin down. Its nearest relatives are scattered across the Germanic languages with senses that look surprisingly unrelated: West Frisian "pûlje" means to shell or husk, Middle Dutch "pullen" meant to drink, and Icelandic "púla" means to work hard or beat. Those links suggest an older sense of stripping, picking, or hauling at something, though the exact path from there to the modern meaning is uncertain. In Middle English the verb became "pullen," and the noun "pul" or "pulle" was formed directly from it, so the act of pulling was named before the thing done. The same word has been stretched across a huge range of uses, from tugging a rope to pulling a trigger or pulling a muscle.

Synonyms: draw, tow, drag, haul, yank

Antonyms: push, shove, thrust, propel