4 VERB If you pluck a chicken or other dead bird, you pull its feathers out to prepare it for cooking. □ [V n] She looked relaxed as she plucked a chicken.
5 VERB If you pluck your eyebrows , you pull out some of the hairs using tweezers. □ [V n] You've plucked your eyebrows at last!
6 VERB [usu passive] If someone unknown is given an important job or role and quickly becomes famous because of it, you can say that they have been plucked from obscurity or plucked from an unimportant position. [WRITTEN ] □ [be V -ed + from ] She was plucked from the corps de ballet to take on Juliet. □ [V n + from ] The agency plucked her from obscurity and turned her into one of the world's top models.
7 VERB [usu passive] If someone is rescued from a dangerous situation, you can say that they are plucked from it or are plucked to safety. □ [be V -ed + from ] A workman was plucked from the roof of a burning power station by a police helicopter. □ [be V -ed + to ] Ten fishermen were plucked to safety from life-rafts.
8 PHRASE If you pluck up the courage to do something that you feel nervous about, you make an effort to be brave enough to do it. □ It took me about two hours to pluck up courage to call.
9 PHRASE If you say that someone plucks a figure, name, or date out of the air , you mean that they say it without thinking much about it before they speak. □ Is this just a figure she plucked out of the air?
▸ pluck at PHRASAL VERB If you pluck at something, you take it between your fingers and pull it sharply but gently. □ [V P n] The boy plucked at Adam's sleeve.
plucky /plʌ ki/ (pluckier , pluckiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone, for example a sick child, is described as plucky , it means that although they are weak, they face their difficulties with courage. [JOURNALISM , APPROVAL ] □ The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.
plug /plʌ g/ (plugs , plugging , plugged )
1 N‑COUNT A plug on a piece of electrical equipment is a small plastic object with two or three metal pins which fit into the holes of an electric socket and connects the equipment to the electricity supply.
2 N‑COUNT A plug is an electric socket. [INFORMAL ]
3 N‑COUNT A plug is a thick, circular piece of rubber or plastic that you use to block the hole in a bath or sink when it is filled with water. □ She put the plug in the sink and filled it with cold water.
4 N‑COUNT A plug is a small, round piece of wood, plastic, or wax which is used to block holes. □ A plug had been inserted in the drill hole.
5 VERB If you plug a hole, you block it with something. □ [V n] Crews are working to plug a major oil leak.
6 VERB If someone plugs a commercial product, especially a book or a film, they praise it in order to encourage people to buy it or see it because they have an interest in it doing well. □ [V n] We did not want people on the show who are purely interested in plugging a book or film. ● N‑COUNT Plug is also a noun. □ Let's do this show tonight and it'll be a great plug, a great promotion.
7 → see also earplug , spark plug
8 PHRASE If someone in a position of power pulls the plug on a project or on someone's activities, they use their power to stop them continuing. □ The banks have the power to pull the plug on the project.
▸ plug in or plug into
1 PHRASAL VERB If you plug a piece of electrical equipment into an electricity supply or if you plug it in , you connect it to an electricity supply using a plug. □ [V P n] He went to plug in his phone for the night. □ [V n P ] I filled the kettle while she was talking and plugged it in. □ [V n P n] He took the machine from its bag and plugged it into the wall socket.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you plug one piece of electrical equipment into another or if you plug it in , you make it work by connecting the two. □ [V n P n] They plugged their guitars into amplifiers. □ [V P n] He plugged in his guitar.
3 PHRASAL VERB If one piece of electrical equipment plugs in or plugs into another piece of electrical equipment, it works by being connected by an electrical cord or lead to an electricity supply or to the other piece of equipment. □ [V P n] Car ionizers generally plug into the lighter socket. □ [V P ] They've found out where the other speaker plugs in.
4 PHRASAL VERB If you plug something into a hole, you push it into the hole. □ [V n P n] Her instructor plugged live bullets into the gun's chamber.
▸ plug into
1 PHRASAL VERB If you plug into a computer system, you are able to use it or see the information stored on it. □ [V P n] It is possible to plug into remote databases to pick up information.
2 → see also plug-in
plu g-and-pla y ADJ [ADJ n] Plug-and-play is used to describe computer equipment, for example a printer, that is ready to use immediately when you connect it to a computer. [COMPUTING ] □ … a plug-and-play USB camera.
plug|hole /plʌ ghoʊl/ (plugholes ) N‑COUNT A plughole is a small hole in a bath or sink which allows the water to flow away and into which you can put a plug. [BRIT ] in AM, use drain
plu g-in (plug-ins ) also plugin
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A plug-in machine is a piece of electrical equipment that is operated by being connected to an electricity supply or to another piece of electrical equipment by means of a plug. □ …a plug-in radio.