Pull — Defs

01 v. t. To draw, or attempt to draw, toward one; to draw forcibly.

imp. & p. p. Pulled; p. pr. & vb. n. Pulling

1.
To draw, or attempt to draw, toward one; to draw forcibly.
“Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows.” — Shak.

“He put forth his hand . . . and pulled her in.” — Gen. viii. 9.
2.
To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
“He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.” — Lam. iii. 11.
3.
To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; to pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch.
4.
To move or operate by the motion of drawing towards one; as, to pull a bell; to pull an oar.
5.
To hold back, and so prevent from winning; as, the favorite was pulled.(Horse Racing)
6.
To take or make, as a proof or impression; -- hand presses being worked by pulling a lever.(Print.)
7.
To strike the ball in a particular manner. See Pull, n., 8.(Cricket) See: Pull
“Never pull a straight fast ball to leg.” — R. H. Lyttelton.

Phrases & compounds

To pull and haul — to draw hither and thither.

To pull down — to demolish; to destroy; to degrade; as, to pull down a house.

To pull a finch — See under Finch.

To pull off — take or draw off.

02 v. i. To exert one's self in an act or motion of drawing or hauling; to tug; as, to pull at a rope.

1.
To exert one's self in an act or motion of drawing or hauling; to tug; as, to pull at a rope.

Phrases & compounds

To pull apart — to become separated by pulling; as, a rope will pull apart.

To pull up — to draw the reins; to stop; to halt.

To pull through — to come successfully to the end of a difficult undertaking, a dangerous sickness, or the like.

03 n. The act of pulling or drawing with force; an effort to move something by drawing toward one.

1.
The act of pulling or drawing with force; an effort to move something by drawing toward one.
“I awakened with a violent pull upon the ring which was fastened at the top of my box.” — Swift.
2.
A contest; a struggle; as, a wrestling pull.
3.
A pluck; loss or violence suffered.[Poetic]
“Two pulls at once; His lady banished, and a limb lopped off.” — Shak.
4.
A knob, handle, or lever, etc., by which anything is pulled; as, a drawer pull; a bell pull.
5.
The act of rowing; as, a pull on the river.[Colloq.]
6.
The act of drinking; as, to take a pull at the beer, or the mug.[Slang]
7.
Something in one's favor in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing; as, in weights the favorite had the pull.[Slang]
8.
A kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side.(Cricket)
“The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket.” — R. A. Proctor.