Found 1 items, similar to To pull a finch.
English → English (gcide) Definition: To pull a finch Pull \Pull\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pulled; p. pr. & vb. n. Pulling.] [AS. pullian; cf. LG. pulen, and Gael. peall, piol, spiol.] 1. To draw, or attempt to draw, toward one; to draw forcibly. [1913 Webster] Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows. --Shak. [1913 Webster] He put forth his hand . . . and pulled her in. --Gen. viii. 9. [1913 Webster] 2. To draw apart; to tear; to rend. [1913 Webster] He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. --Lam. iii. 11. [1913 Webster] 3. To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; to pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch. [1913 Webster] 4. To move or operate by the motion of drawing towards one; as, to pull a bell; to pull an oar. [1913 Webster] 5. (Horse Racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning; as, the favorite was pulled. [1913 Webster] 6. (Print.) To take or make, as a proof or impression; -- hand presses being worked by pulling a lever. [1913 Webster] 7. (Cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. See Pull, n., 8. [1913 Webster] Never pull a straight fast ball to leg. --R. H. Lyttelton. [1913 Webster] To pull and haul, to draw hither and thither. “ Both are equally pulled and hauled to do that which they are unable to do. ” --South. To pull down, to demolish; to destroy; to degrade; as, to pull down a house. “ In political affairs, as well as mechanical, it is easier to pull down than build up.” --Howell. “ To raise the wretched, and pull down the proud.” --Roscommon. To pull a finch. See under Finch. To pull off, take or draw off. [1913 Webster] Finch \Finch\ (f[i^]nch), n.; pl. Finches (f[i^]nch"[e^]z). [AS. finc; akin to D. vink, OHG. fincho, G. fink; cf. W. pinc a finch; also E. spink.] (Zo["o]l.) A small singing bird of many genera and species, belonging to the family Fringillid[ae]. [1913 Webster] Note: The word is often used in composition, as in chaffinch, goldfinch, grassfinch, pinefinch, etc. [1913 Webster] Bramble finch. See Brambling. Canary finch, the canary bird. Copper finch. See Chaffinch. Diamond finch. See under Diamond. Finch falcon (Zo["o]l.), one of several very small East Indian falcons of the genus Hierax. To pull a finch, to swindle an ignorant or unsuspecting person. [Obs.] “Privily a finch eke could he pull.” --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]