pluck

• n. 勇气；内脏；快而猛的拉
• vt. 摘；拔；扯
• vi. 拉；拽；扯

来自古英语pluccian,拔出，拉，扯，来自West-Germanic*plokken,拔，借自拉丁语pilare,拔 头发，来自pilus,头发，词源同pile,depilatory.

pluck

pluck: [OE] Pluck is a widespread Germanic word (Flemish has plokken, Swedish plocka, and Danish plukke, and German and Dutch the closely related pflücken and plukken), but it is ultimately of Latin origin. Prehistoric Germanic *plukkōn was acquired from a Vulgar Latin *piluccāre (source also of Old French peluchier ‘pluck’ – from which English gets plush [16] – and Italian piluccare ‘pluck’), a derivative of Latin pīlus ‘hair’ (source of English depilatory, pile ‘nap’, etc).

The use of the noun pluck for ‘courage’ originated in the 18th century from an earlier literal application to the ‘heart (and other internal organs) of a slaughtered animal’, which in turn was based on the notion of their being ‘plucked’ or removed from the carcase.
=> depilatory, pile, plush

pluck (n.)

c. 1400, "act of plucking," from pluck (v.). Meaning "courage, boldness" (1785), originally in pugilism slang, is a figurative use from earlier meaning "heart, viscera" (1610s) as that which is "plucked" from slaughtered livestock. Perhaps influenced by figurative use of the verb in pluck up (one's courage, etc.), attested from c. 1300.

pluck (v.)

late Old English ploccian, pluccian "pull off, cull," from West Germanic *plokken (cognates: Middle Low German plucken, Middle Dutch plocken, Dutch plukken, Flemish plokken, German pflücken), perhaps from Vulgar Latin *piluccare (source of Old French peluchier, late 12c.; Italian piluccare), a frequentative, ultimately from Latin pilare "pull out hair," from pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)). But despite the similarities, OED finds difficulties with this and cites gaps in historical evidence. Related: Plucked; plucking.

To pluck a rose, an expression said to be used by women for going to the necessary house, which in the country usually stands in the garden. [F. Grose, "Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1785]

This euphemistic use is attested from 1610s. To pluck up "summon up" is from c. 1300.

1. It took me about two hours to pluck up courage to call.

我用了大约2个小时才鼓起勇气打电话。

来自柯林斯例句

2. He is full of pluck.

他很有勇气.

来自《简明英汉词典》

3. Little companies are known for their pluck and perseverance, even in the face of a recession.

小公司的勇气和坚毅是出了名的，即使面对经济衰退也是如此。

来自柯林斯例句

4. Peregrine falcons usually pluck the feathers and strip the flesh off their bird prey.

游隼捕到鸟类猎物时,通常是先拔掉它们的羽毛,再把肉撕下来.

来自《简明英汉词典》

5. With a few pluck at the string of his banjo, everybodyis singing along.

他拨了拨班卓琴的琴弦, 每个人就都跟著唱了起了.

来自《简明英汉词典》