Definition of: pluck

(pluk) v.t.
1. To pull out or off; pick: to pluck a flower.
2. To pull with force; snatch or drag: with off, away, etc.
3. To pull out the feathers, hair, etc., of: to pluck a chicken.
4. To give a twitch or pull to, as a sleeve.
5. To cause the strings of (a musical instrument) to sound by such action.
6. To rob; swindle.
7. Brit. Slang To reject (a candidate) for failure to pass an examination.
—v.i.
8. To give a sudden pull; tug: with at.
—to pluck up To rouse or summon (one's courage).
—noun
1. Confidence and spirit in the face of difficulty or danger; courage.
2. The heart, liver, windpipe, and lungs of an animal.
3. A sudden pull; twitch.
4. The act of plucking or state of being plucked; also, the person plucked. See synonyms under COURAGE. [OE pluccian]
—pluck′er noun