plow-witcher 
Seven companies of plough-mtehers waited npon me In 
my South Lincolnshire home; n<l some of the perform- 
er* Bewy, the Doctor, the Valiant .Soldier, Ac. went 
through the recital of their little play. 
A. and Q.. 7th ier., I. 86. 
plowwright, ploughwright (plou'rit), . One 
who make.s an<! repairs plows. 
I'l'Hi'jHirritf, cartwrlitht, knacker, and smith. 
Tusser, Husbandry, Corn Harvest. 
ploy 1 (ploi), n. [Abbr. ol employ.] 1. Employ- 
ment. 2. A harmless frolic ; a merrymaking. 
[Scotch.] 
ploy- (ploi), r. i. [Cf. deploy.] Milit., to move 
from liue into column: the opposite of tie- 
ploy. 
ployment (ploi'ment), n. [< ploy* + -meat.] 
Mtlit., the formation of column from line. 
Pluchea (plo'ke-ji), w. [NL. (Cassini, 1817), 
named after N. A. Pluche, a French abbe, 
who wrote upon natural history in 1732.] A 
genus of composite plants of the tribe Inuloi- 
dete, type of the subtribe Pluclieinete, character- 
ized by the corymbose heads of flowers with 
dry broad bracts, each head containing numer- 
ous truncate thread-shaped pistillate flowers in 
many outer rows, and a few perfect but sterile 
five-cleft flowers in the center. There are about 85 
species, natives of warmer parts of America, Africa, Asia, 
and Australia, a few herbaceous and extending Into the 
central or northern United States on the coast, the others 
shrubs or undershrubs. They are woolly or glutinous, 
with a strong or camphoric odor, bearing alternate toothed 
leaves, and white, yellow, or purplish flowers. P. cam- 
phorata is the salt-marsh fleabane of the Atlantic coast, 
sometimes called camphor-plant. P. odorata is the river- 
side tobacco of the West Indies. 
pluck 1 (pluk), r. t. [< ME. plukken, plokken, 
plockien (pret. pluckede, plukkcde, pp. plukked, 
irreg. pret. plyijhte, pp. plyght), < AS. pluccian, 
pluccHjean, ploccan (pret. pluccede, pp. plucced) 
= D. plukken = MLG. pluckcn, LG. plukken = 
OHO. 'pftucclien (not found), MHG. phliiekeii, 
pfliicken, G. pfliicken = Icel . pliikka, plokka = Sw. 
pfocka = Dan. plukke, pick, pluck ; hardly a 
Teut. word, the Scand. forms being appar. bor- 
rowed from AS. or LG., and these prob. derived, 
through OHG. or Goth, (where, however, the 
word is not recorded ), from an early Rom. ( LL. ) 
verb "pilicare, "pilucare, found in Olt. pelucare, 
peluecare,piluccare,lt.piluccare,-p\u<!k(gra.pe&), 
pick off (grapes) one by one, = Pr.pelitcar, pick 
out, = OF. ploequer, in secondary form "jiluc- 
quier, plusquicr, pelukier, pelitchirr, F. dial. (Pi- 
card) pluquer, pluckier. ploki, pluclicr, F. in comp. 
eplucher, pick, gather (the F. forms prob. in part 
reflections of the LG.); the ref. to plucking 
grapes (which suggests the means of its early 
introduction into Teut. use) being a particular 
application or transfer of the orig. sense (Olt. 
pelucare, etc.) 'pick out hairs one by one,' as 
explained under the derivative peruke, the verb 
(LL. *pilicare, "pilucarc) being derived, with 
freq. formative (L. -ic-are, LL. *-uc-are, It. -uc- 
are, -ucc-are, etc., the same occuiTing in plunge, 
ult. < ML. "plumbieare), from L. pilus, hair, 
a hair: see pile*, peruke (and periirig and irig), 
and also pltuh, from the same source. No evi- 
dence of the existence of the Rom. (LL.) verb 
at a period early enough to produce the earliest 
Teut. forms is found ; analogous verbs in -icare 
are, however, found, and the explanation here 
given meets all the other conditions. It will 
be observed that pluck still refers in most in- 
stances to pulling nair or feathers or berries or 
flowers, ana that L. pilux, hair, has had in other 
respects a remarkable development.] 1. To 
pull off, as feathers from a fowl, or fruit or flow- 
ers from a plant ; pick off; gather; pick or cull, 
as berries or flowers. 
Hlse dlsclplis piuckiden ecrls of corn, and thel frotynge 
with her hondls eeUn. Wydif, Luke vl. 1. 
Al sodeynly thre leves have I ptyyht 
Out of his book right as he radde. 
Chanter. Prol. to Wife of Bath's Tale, I. 790. 
Ill show thee the best springs ; 
I'll pluck tbee berries; 
111 fish for thee. Shot., Tempest, II. :'.. 164. 
As thro' the land at eve we went, 
And pluck' d the rlpen'd ears. 
Tennyson, Princess, I. (song). 
2. To pull; draw; drag: used either literally 
or figuratively. 
I'ltirlt him headlong from the usurped throne. 
Shot., Rich. II., T. 1. 6. 
4.-.IJI 
It is their Custom to nuke Men sit on the Floor, as 
they do, rross-legg'il like Taylors; But I had not strength 
then to pluck up my lieels In that manner. 
Dampier, Voyages, I. 502. 
Especially 3. To pull sharply; pull with sud- 
den force or jerk; give a tug or twitch to; twitch; 
snatch ; twang, as the strings of a harp or guitar. 
Sodeynly he plyghU his bors aboute. 
Chaucer, Prol. to Man of Law's Tale, 1. 18. 
Merlin caught the flayle of the yate and plukked It to 
hym, and yede oute as lightly as ft hadde not haue ben 
lokked, and than departed oute mag(r|e how It grucchld. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.\ ii. 208. 
You are the hare of whom the proverb goes, 
Whose valour plucks dad lions by the beard. 
Shak.,H. John, IL 1. 188. 
I have been ptuck'd and tugg'd by th' hair o' th' head 
About a gallery half an acre long. 
Fletcher (and anotker\ Nice Valour, 111. 2. 
E'en children followed, with endearing wile, 
And ptuck'd his gown, to share the good man's smile. 
Ootdsinith, Des. \ il . 1. 184. 
4. To strip, as a fowl, by pulling off its feathers ; 
strip the feathers from: as, to pluck a fowl. 
Since I plucked geese, played truant, and whipped top, 
I knew not what 'twas to be beaten till lately. 
Shak., M. W. of W., v. 1. 26. 
The King of Great Britain used to send for his Ambas- 
sadors from Abroad to pluck Capons at Home. 
Bmeett, Letters, I. v. 81. 
5. To reject, after a university or other exam- 
ination, as not coming up to the required stan- 
dard. [College slang, Eng.] 
He went to college, and he got plucked, I think they 
call It. Charlntte Brtintr, Jane Eyre, x. 
If a man is plucked that Is, does not get marks enough 
to pass his chance of a Fellowship is done for. 
C. A. Britted, English University, p. 258. 
I trust that I hare never plucked a candidate in the 
Schools without giving him every opportunity of setting 
himself right. Stubbs, Medieval and Modem Hist., p. 386. 
Plucked instrument, in music. Sec instrument, 3 (<). 
TO pluck a crow with one, to pick a quarrel with one. 
O, these courtiers, neighbours, are pestilent knaves ; but, 
ere III suffer it, I'll pluck a crmr with some of 'em. 
Dekker and Ford, Sun's Darling, iv. 1. 
To pluck a pigeon. $<x piyeon. To pluck down a 
Bide. See the quotation. 
Other that never learned to shoot, nor yet knoweth good 
shaft nor bow, will be as busy as the best, but such one 
commonly plucketh doirna vide [to pluck doicn a side, I be- 
lieve, is to shoot on one side Into the ground), and crafty 
archers which be against him will be both glad of him, 
and also ever ready to lay and bet with him : it were better 
for such one to sit down than shoot. 
.tfi-li'iin, Toxophilus (ed. 1864), p. 8. 
TO pluck Offt, to descend In regard to rank or title ; de- 
scend lower. 
Pluck off n little; 
I would not be a young count In your way. 
Shak., Hen. VI II., it 3. 40. 
To pluck up. (a) To pull or haul up suddenly ; remove 
entirely or by the roots ; eradicate ; hence, to extermi- 
nate ; destroy : as, to pluck up weeds. 
Theypluckt up anchor, and away did sayle. 
The Sable Fisherman (Child's Ballads, V. SSI). 
But if they will not obey, I will utterly p/unt up and de- 
stroy that nation, saith the Lord. Jer. xll. 17. 
I observed that the corn here was plucked up by the 
roots, according to the antient usage, which is retained also 
In the upper -tjrypt. 
Pococtt, Description of the East, II. I. 131. 
(ft) To summon or muster up : as, to pluck up courage 
spirit, etc. 
Pluk vp thl hert, my dere mayster. 
Rntrin Hood and the Monk (Child's Ballads, V. 2). 
Pluck up thy spirits ; look cheerfully upon roe. 
Shak., T. of the 8., IT. 8. 38. 
Why did not Little-faith pluck up a greater heart? 
Banyan, Pilgrim's Progress, p. 188. 
T'lurk up a little resolution, and we shall soon be out of 
the reach of her malignity. 
Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, v. 
() Intrant., to collect one's self ; gather spirit or courage. 
Btnc. Yon break jests as braggart* do their blades. . 
D. Pedro. But, soft you, let me be. Pluck up, my heart, 
and be sad [serious]. Shak., Much Ado, v. 1. 207. 
pluck 1 (pluk), n. [= D. pluk, plucking, gather- 
ing, crop, = Sw. plock = Dan. pluk, gathering; 
from the verb: see pluck, r. In def. 4 the same 
word, the heart, liver, and lights being ' plucked 
out' in preparing the carcass for market. In 
def. 5 a colloq. fig. use of sense 4, like heart and 
liter jn similar expressions.] 1. A pull ; a tug; 
a twitch; a snatch: as, he gave tne sword a 
What poor fat follow'd thee, and pluck' d thee on, 
To trust thy sacred life to an Egyptian? 
Fletcher (and another), False One, 1L L 
The beat put of hlmselfe he had loat before In Apos 
Usie, which plucked this destrm -Hun II;,.IM him. 
Purchn*. I'llgrlmage, p. J57. 
Were they (the bonetj dry, they could not ... without 
great difficulty yield to and obey the plucks and attrac- 
tions of the mutiny muscles. Ray, Works of Creation, II. 
2t. A blow; a stroke. 3t. About; around. 
Why, wylt thou fyght a pluekef 
Playe of liobyn Hade (Child's Ballads, V. 428). 
4. The heart, liver, and lungs or lights of a 
sheep, ox, or other animal used as Dutchers' 
meat: also used figuratively or humorously of 
tin- like parts of a human 
plug 
It vexes me to the pluck that I should lose walking this 
delicious day. Sir\ft, Journal to Stella, xvlli. 
There were lower depths yet : there were the purl houses, 
where "Tradesmen flock in their Morning gowns, by Seven, 
to cool their Plucks." 
J. Athlon, Social Life In Reign of Queen Anne, I. 234. 
Hence 5. Heart ; courage; spirit : determined 
energy; resolution in the face of difficulties. 
Decay of English spirit, decay of manly itvck. 
Thackeray. 
Be lit in ! one constant element in luck 
Is genuine, solid, old Teutonic pluck. 
O. W. Utilmes, A Khymed Lesson. 
Attracted by the fame of Botta's discoveries, he (Layard | 
set to work digging at Nineveh with that pluck, that en- 
ergy, and at the same time that discriminating judgment, 
which he has since shown on other occasions. 
Mns Muller, Kiograiih. Essays, p. 280. 
pluck- (pluk), . [Origin obscure ; cf. Ir. Gael. 
plue, a lump, knot, bunch, ploe, a club, plug, 
block: see plug and block 1 .] The pogge, Ago- 
tius cataphractus. [Scotch.] 
plucked 1 (plukt), p. a. Having the long stiff 
hairs removed: said of the pelt of a fur-seal. 
plucked 2 (plukt), a. [< tec**, n., 5, spirit, cou- 
rage, + -eo*.] Endowed with pluck orcourage: 
with a qualifying adjective. [Colloq.] 
"What, going?" said he, "and going for good? I wish 
I was such a Hood-plucked one as you, Miss Anvllle." 
Thackeray, Roundabout Papers, On a Peal of Bells, note. 
A very sensible man. and has seen a deal of life, and 
kept his eyes open, but a terrible h&ra-pluckcd one. 
Talked like a book to me all the way, but be hanged If I 
don't think he has a thirty-two- pound shot under his ribs 
instead of a heart. KinysUy, Two Years Ago, Iv. (Dames.) 
plucker (pluk'er), . 1. One who or that which 
plucks. 
Thou setter up and plucker down of kings. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI.. II. 3. 37. 
2. A machine for straightening and cleaning 
long wool to render it fit for combing, it has a 
traveling apron which feeds the ends of the tufts to a pair 
of spiked rollers, by which tufts and locks are opened, and 
whence they proceed to a fanning apparatus for cleaning. 
It is usually managed by a boy. 
Pllickerian (plu-ke'ri-an), a. [< riiicker (see 
def.) + -i)i.J Pertaining to the geometrician 
Julius Plucker(1801-68)._piuckerian character- 
istic, one of the quantities entering Into the Pltickerian 
equations. - Pliickerian equations, equations published 
In 1834, substantially as follows: Let m be the order of a 
plane curve, n its class, S its nodes, .. its cusps, T Its bltan- 
gents, and i its inflections. Then 
3m = 3 i ; 
2 = ni~ m n - 3* ; 
2r = n2 n -- m 3t. 
Pliicker's formulae. See formula. 
pluckily (pluk'i-li), udr. In a plucky manner; 
with courage or spirit. [Colloq.] 
"No," said Frank, pluekUy, as he put his horse Into a 
faster trot. Trollope, Dr. Thome, xxlx. 
pluckiness (pluk'i-nes), n. The character of be- 
ing plucky; pluck; courage. 
Her quaint, queer expression, in which curiosity, plucki- 
nets, and a foretaste of amusement mingled. 
Mrs. Whitney, Leslie Ooldthwaite, vL 
pluckleSS f pluk'les). a. [<pluck^. n.,5,+ -If us.] 
Without pluck; faint-hearted. [Colloq.] 
plucky (pluk'i), a. [_<pluckl,n.,5, + -yl.] Pos- 
sessing pluck, or spirit and courage ;' spirited; 
courageous. [Colloq.] 
If you're plucky, and not over-subject to fright, 
And go and look over that chalk-pit white, 
You may see, If you wlu, 
The Ghost of old Gill. 
Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, II. 146. 
pluff (pluf), r. t. [Imitative of a sudden puff; 
cf. ptjjrtnd fluff?.] To throw out smoke or fine 
dust in quick whiffs, as by igniting gunpowder 
or throwing out hair-powder from a puffball. 
[Scotch.] 
pluff (pluf), n. [< pluff,*.] 1. A puff of smoke 
or dust, as from gunpowder or hair-powder. 
[Scotch.] 
The gout took his head, and he went out of the world like 
ap/u/of powther. (Jail, Steam-Boat, p. 78. (Jamiesm.) 
2f. An instrument used in powdering the hair, 
made like a sort of bellows, by which the pow- 
der was blown in a cloud. Also i/mcdcr-puff. 
3. In hot., a Scotch name for a species of puff- 
ball, Rmi*tH lycoperdon. 
pluffy (nluf'i), a. [< pluff + -yi.] Fluffy; 
puffy ; blown up. 
Light plufy hair. Albert Smith, Pottleton Legacy, xxrli 
A good-looking fellow a thought too plufij, perhaps, 
and more than a thought t*Hi swaggering. 
Lever, One of Them. 
plug (plug), n. [X MI>. jilii>i : /i. I), /i/ni/. :i Imng, 
peg, plug, = .MI.n. ///</(/'. M!. I'li/'i'ji. /tin,/,/,. 
a plug, = MHG. nfloi- ( />#<*-), f^todct, < i . pJMOfc, 
a peg. plug, = Sw. i>li'n ; /, )>li,/ ; / = Norw. 
Din. />'",/. //"/ i pn.b. < LG.), plug, peg: cf. W. 
