HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
v. pulled, pull·ing, pulls v.tr. 1. To apply force to (something) so as to cause or tend to cause motion toward the source of the force: pulled her chair up to the table; pulled the wagon down the street. 2. To remove from a fixed position; extract: The dentist pulled the tooth. 3. To tug at; jerk or tweak: I pulled the lever until it broke. 4. To rip or tear; rend: The dog pulled the toy to pieces. 5. To stretch (taffy, for example) repeatedly. 6. To strain (a muscle, for example) injuriously. 7. Informal To attract; draw: a performer who pulls large crowds. 8. Slang To draw out (a weapon) in readiness for use: pull a gun; pulled a knife on me. 9. Informal To remove: pulled the car's engine; pulled the tainted meat product from the stores. 10. Sports To hit (a ball) so that it moves in the direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player. 11. Nautical a. To operate (an oar) in rowing. b. To transport or propel by rowing. c. To be rowed by: That boat pulls six oars. 12. To rein in (a horse) to keep it from winning a race. 13. Printing To produce (a print or an impression) from type. v.intr. 1. To exert force in moving something toward the source of the force: Pull harder and the window will open. 2. a. To move in a certain direction or toward a certain goal: pulled into the driveway; pulled even with the race leader. b. To gain a position closer to an objective: Our team has pulled within three points of the league leader. 3. To drink or inhale deeply: pulled on the cold beer with gusto; pull on a cigarette. 4. Nautical To row a boat. 5. Informal To express or feel great sympathy or empathy: We're pulling for our new president. n. Phrasal Verbs: 1. The act or process of pulling: gave the drawer a pull. 2. Force exerted in pulling or required to overcome resistance in pulling: How much pull does this tugboat have? 3. A sustained effort: a long pull across the mountains. 4. Something, such as a knob on a drawer, that is used for pulling. 5. A deep inhalation or draft, as on a cigarette or of a beverage. 6. Slang A means of gaining special advantage; influence: The lobbyist has pull with the senator. 7. Informal The ability to draw or attract; appeal: a star with pull at the box office. pull ahead To move ahead, as in a race. pull away 1. To move away or backward; withdraw: The limousine pulled away from the curb. 2. To move ahead of another or others: The horse pulled away and took the lead in the race. pull back 1. To withdraw or retreat. 2. To reduce one's involvement in a given enterprise. pull down 1. To demolish; destroy: pull down an old office building. 2. To reduce to a lower level: The bad news pulled down stock prices. 3. To depress, as in spirits or health. 4. Informal To draw (money) as wages: pulls down a hefty salary. pull in 1. To arrive at a destination: We pulled in at midnight. 2. To obtain, earn, or secure: How much money does he pull in? She pulled in half of the opponent's supporters. 3. To rein in; restrain: pulled in the investigators. 4. To arrest (a criminal suspect, for example). pull off Informal To accomplish in spite of difficulties or obstacles; bring off: pulled off a last-minute victory. pull out 1. To leave or depart: The train pulls out at noon. 2. To withdraw, as from a situation or commitment: After the crash, many Wall Street investors pulled out. pull over 1. To bring a vehicle to a stop at a curb or at the side of a road: We pulled over to watch the sunset. 2. To force (a motorist or a vehicle) to stop at a curb or at the side of a road: The state trooper pulled the speeding motorist over. pull round To restore or be restored to sound health. pull through To come or bring successfully through trouble or illness. pull up Idioms: 1. To bring or come to a halt: The driver pulled the car up at the curb. The car pulled up in front of the hotel. 2. To approach and arrive at a destination: We watched the plane pull up to the gate. 3. To increase or cause to increase in altitude: The plane pulled up just enough to miss the tower. 4. To advance or regain position, as in a race. 5. To check the action of: The remark pulled him up short. 6. To reprove or rebuke: They were pulled up for wasting money. 7. Basketball To stop one's progress and bring the ball up above one's head in order to take a jump shot. pull a fast one Informal To play a trick or perpetrate a fraud. pull (oneself) together To regain one's composure. pull (one's) punches To refrain from deploying all the resources or force at one's disposal: didn't pull any punches during the negotiations. pull (one's) weight To do one's own share, as of work. pull out all the stops Informal To deploy all the resources or force at one's disposal: The Inaugural Committee pulled out all the stops when arranging the ceremonies. pull (someone's) leg To play a joke on; tease or deceive. pull something To carry out a deception or swindle: worried that his partners might be trying to pull something behind his back. pull strings/wiresInformal To exert secret control or influence in order to gain an end. pull the plug on Slang To stop supporting or bring to an end: pulled the plug on the new art courses. pull the rug (out) from under Informal To remove all support and assistance from, usually suddenly. pull the string Baseball To throw an off-speed pitch. pull the wool over (someone's) eyes To deceive; hoodwink. pull together To make a joint effort. pull up stakes To clear out; leave: She pulled up stakes in New England and moved to the desert. [Middle English pullen, from Old English pullian.] puller n. Synonyms: pull, drag, draw, haul, tow1, tug These verbs mean to cause something to move toward the source of an applied force. Pull is the most general: They pulled the sleds up a hill. Drag stresses the effort involved in pulling, and also often that the object being moved is trailing along a surface: "His hands were dirty too, and they streaked his face as he dragged his fingers against his cheeks" (Paul Theroux). Draw can be used to imply movement in a given direction: The teacher drew the children into the room to see the decorations. Draw can also be used to indicate pulling so as to cover or uncover another object: She draws the curtains so we can see the sunlight. To haul is to pull an object that is heavy, cumbersome, or otherwise difficult to move: "All three of us roll the drum to the driveway, flattening a strip of knee-high grass, acting like we haul mystery drums every day" (Mark Wisniewski). Tow means to pull by means of a chain or line: Some cars can tow trailers. Tug emphasizes repeated and sometimes vigorous pulling: "A strong-willed baby, wide awake and not to be ignored, already reaching out filament fingers to tug at her" (Tana French). Antonym: push |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
