pluck
B2Neutral to informal for the 'courage' meaning; more formal for the musical/culinary meanings.
Definition
Meaning
To quickly pull something away or out, especially with a sudden sharp movement, or to show courage and determination.
To play a stringed instrument by pulling and releasing the strings with fingers or a plectrum; (dated) to reject someone from an educational institution; (slightly informal) to prepare a bird for cooking by removing its feathers.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The 'courage' sense is derived from the idea of 'plucking' or drawing on inner resources. It can be a noun (e.g., 'show some pluck') or a verb (e.g., 'pluck up the courage').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. 'Pluck' is used in all major varieties of English. The noun form for courage might be slightly more literary in American English.
Connotations
The 'courage' meaning is often approving but can sound slightly old-fashioned or quaint. The act of plucking feathers is straightforward.
Frequency
Broadly similar frequency. The verb is more common than the noun.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] pluck [NP] (from/out of [NP])[NP] pluck [NP] (e.g., guitar)[NP] pluck up [NP] (e.g., courage)[NP] pluck at [NP] (e.g., sleeve)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pluck up (the) courage”
- “pluck something out of the air”
- “pluck at someone's heartstrings”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possible in metaphors: 'They plucked the idea from a competitor's marketing.'
Academic
Rare in general texts. Used in musicology ('plucked instruments') and historical texts.
Everyday
Common for hair/feather removal, playing instruments, and informal courage.
Technical
Specific to music (plucked strings), poultry processing, and horticulture.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She plucked a grey hair from her head.
- He finally plucked up the courage to ask for a pay rise.
- The chef is plucking the pheasant in the kitchen.
American English
- He plucked the guitar string expertly.
- She plucked the document from the shredder just in time.
- They plucked the startup's CEO from a rival firm.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A (The participial adjective 'plucked' is used: 'a plucked chicken').
American English
- N/A (The participial adjective 'plucked' is used: 'plucked eyebrows').
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The child tried to pluck a flower.
- Can you pluck the strings of the guitar? I need to pluck these weeds from the garden.
- It took me weeks to pluck up the courage to apologise.
- He plucked the winning ticket from the drum.
- The university was known for plucking underperforming students from its courses.
- She plucks melodies from the air with seemingly effortless creativity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CHICKEN: You need PLUCK (courage) to PLUCK (remove) its feathers.
Conceptual Metaphor
COURAGE IS A RESOURCE THAT CAN BE GATHERED/PLUCKED (e.g., pluck up courage). IDEAS ARE FRUITS THAT CAN BE PLUCKED (e.g., pluck an idea from the air).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'удачей' (luck). 'Pluck' ≠ 'везение'.
- Глагол 'to pluck' (собирать урожай) менее специфичен, чем 'to pick'. Обычно это быстрое, резкое действие.
- 'Pluck' как 'храбрость' — часто используется в устойчивом сочетании 'pluck up courage'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *'He plucked the apple from the tree slowly.' (Use 'picked').
- Incorrect: *'She has a lot of pluck to do that.' (Grammatically correct but often sounds odd without context; better: 'It took pluck to do that' or 'She showed pluck').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'pluck' used to mean 'show courage'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the meaning. The 'courage' sense is neutral to slightly informal/literary. The 'remove feathers/hair' and 'play an instrument' senses are standard, neutral vocabulary.
'Pluck' implies a quicker, sharper, often single pulling motion (feathers, hairs, strings, grabbing something). 'Pick' is more general for selecting or gathering (flowers, fruit, choices) and is less forceful.
Yes, but it's less common. As a noun, it means spirited and determined courage (e.g., 'She showed remarkable pluck').
It means to pull or tug at something lightly, repeatedly, or nervously (e.g., 'The child plucked at her sleeve to get attention').