Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pul(l, v. Also: pul(l)e, pwl, powl(e, pool. P.t. pullit, -et, -ide, -yd, -ed, pull'd, puld. P.p. pullit, -yt, powlit, puld, pult. [ME pulle(n (14th c.), OE (rare) pullian. Cf. also Pow.]

I. tr. To move or remove (something) by plucking or picking.

1. To tear or pull a thing from where it is fixed, esp. a living thing from where it is growing.

a. To pull out (hair or feathers), depilate. Also const. of and with complement. b. To pull (plants) up by the roots. Also with up and ? out, and fig. c. To pick (fruit, flowers etc.) from (of) trees or plants; of an animal, to graze on (a crop). Also with up, and fig.a. 1492 Myll Spect. 291/29.
Scho … with hire handis pullit the haire of his heid c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 157 (B).
Thow plukkis the pultre and scho pullis of the penis 1676 Forbes Baron Ct. 308.
They were pulleing and rugeing wthers hairesb. (1) 1461 Peebles B. Rec. I 139.
The nychtburris … sal haf fredom … to cast turris and pwl hedder a1500 Henr. Fab. 1825 (Bann.).
This lint rypit, the carll pullit the lyne 1476 Peebles B. Rec. I 177. a1500 Sir Eger 1614. 1531 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 115.
This inquest ordines xl^ti sledfull of hayther to be pullit and maid duffat 1532 Ib. 124.
Geff sic man or woman can be comprehendit stowlland our corn, plukand or pulland, ruband 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 201.
Thocht rute be pullit frome the leuis grene 1579 Acts III 145/2.
Quhateuer persone … pullis or cuttis hanyt brwme 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV 122.
And for the wair pullit be thameselffis … iiii s. for ilk last 1627 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II 127.
Pools(2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1798 (Bann.).
Go ȝit, quhill it [flax] is tendir ȝoung and small, And pull it vp 1657 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 146.(3) fig. 1562-3 Winȝet I 12/1.
Albeit mony in thir dayis hes laborit to abolise, and pull the samyn mercyles vp be the rutis 1596 Dalr. II 352/12.
Quene Marie … was diligent to pul and pluck all heresie out be the rutesc. (1) c1420 Wynt. i 102.
Thai … levys of the tre can powle Ib. v 158.
Datys scho pullyd and ete hyr fyll c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxi 26.
Ane ald ȝaid aver, Schott furth our clewch to pull the clever 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5667.
He pullit the herb … And at his nois the sawer thairof did smell a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 338 (W). 1660 S. Ronaldshay 30.
And directed her to … pull some of the seid of slos or rusches, and give to the kowe(2) 1513 Doug. xi ii 27.
The fresch flowris … Newly pullyt vp from hys stalkis smaill(3) fig. c1590 J. Stewart 21/225.
Virginetie … being puld … soone begins to feed

d. To pick off (tufts of wool) from a surface of cloth. —1584 Sempill Sat. P.seeMote n.¹ 3).

2. To snatch or grab (an object) from (fra) another. Also fig.(1) 1531 Bell. Boece II 399.
He pullit the mais fra him 1561 Inverness Rec. I 67.
[They] myst my self and pullit my cloyk fra me(2) fig. 1562-3 Winȝet I 3/15.
Quhairat sum effrayit … hes pullit the rudder and gouernment fra the formare rewlaris

3. To strip (a skin, fowl etc.) of wool or feathers by plucking. 1494 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 67.
Thai sell na powderit geis, bot qwik or fresche powlit 1550 Elgin Rec. I 104.
That na persoune … pull woll skynnes in tyme cuming 1605 Murray Early B. Organ. I 489.
Fremen and fremens wyfis sall have libertie to pull skinis 1630 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 83. 1682 Ib. XI 37.
And the Councell discharges any person in the said mercat to pull any wyld or tame foull whatsoever

4. To pull or pluck (a part of one's own or another's body, another's ear, another's garment). 1513 Doug. iii Prol. 17.
Wald God I had thar erys to pull a1540 Freiris Berw. 139 (B).
Scho pullit hir cunt, and gaif hit buffettis tway Vpoun the cheikis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 464 (B).
It war almous to pull my eir That wald not preive ȝone gayis geir 1587 Aberd. B. Rec. II 60.
The puir folkis … beggand almous, plukand and pulland honest menis gownis [etc.] 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 209.
When sickness … beginneth to pull your ears Ib. 261.
When he was beginning to misknow God, … at that same time God beginneth to pull his ear 1658 R. Moray Lett. 29 March.
Wives think their husbands loue them not if they do not frequently chide them and now & then pull their crockitts

5. fig. a. To ‘strip bare’, to fleece, to despoil (a person). b. To ‘pick up’, ‘grab’, steal (another's possessions). c1450-2 Howlat 972 (A).
Ȝe princis … That pullis the pure ay 1578 Glasgow B. Rec. (M.C.) 97.
Or ony of thame be fund amangis wther menis stuff, pulland, steilland, or ruggand of the samyn

II. tr. To move by drawing, to tug along.

6. To remove something forcibly from a fixed position by pulling or tugging. Const. bak, out and furth, frome or of a position, and fig. Also absol. c1460 Regim. Princ. 11.
Be thai vntrev, pul out and mak al quyte a1500 Henr. Fab. (O.U.P.) 2080.
The fraudfull foxe … with his teith the stoppell … Pullit out [sc. from the creel] c1475 Wall. iv 239.
Thre ȝerde off breide als off the wall [he] puld out c1515 Asl. MS I 223/20.
& pullit him fra his hors 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 330.
To ane fallow, because the king pullit furtht his twtht 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 524.
So may ȝe knaw the courtis inconstance, Quhen prencis bene thus pullit frome thair seis a1568 Bann. MS 80a/30.
Sklandir fra hir toung hes pullit out the thorne 1570 Sat. P. xxiv 87.
Cardanus pyn weill closand in ane spreit, Pull me out that [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 175/7.
The Earle of Angus … pullit the gold chinȝie frome his craige 1582 Declar. Causis 12.
Violence usit to pul the minister out of the pulpet 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 364.
How Pluto come and pullit them out c1590 J. Stewart 115 §1.
Bot Reson sayis, Pull back that dart Ib. 117 §8.
O Cupid keine, on thé I cry For to pull bak thy dart againe 1624 Perth Kirk S. MS 23 May.
Sum of the caberis and hoch staikis brokin and pullit furth of the ruiff 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 70.
Then zest with violence [the executioner] pules furth the cloath al ful of bloodabsol. 1630 Misc. Hist. Soc. II 257.
In dayly greiff for a multitud of begeris, as if I ver a lod of hay all pulling

7. To haul or drag by force to another place or posture.Also, to pull (a gate) to, and to draw (a window-board) up or open.(1) c1300 Annales Angliæ et Scotiæ in W. Rishanger Chronica (ed. H. T. Riley, 1865) 385.]
[(Wallace at Falkirk) dicens illis patria lingua, ‘Hy haue pult ou into a gamen, hoppet yif ye kunnet’, quasi dicat, Iam introduxi vos in foveam et periculi discrimen, etc. 1513 Doug. ii ii 13.
Fast flokkis about a multitude ȝong Troianys Byssy to knak and pul the presoneir 1533 Bell. Livy I 22/28.
Ane hird of that cuntre … pullit ane certane of thame … in his cove 1662 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. II 64.
Two women did come behinde the mester, and pullide him by the haire one his back(2) c1475 Wall. xi 246.
Gret chenys was wrocht in the ȝet with a gyn And puld it to quhen Wallace was tharin 1600 Crim. Trials II 178.
The deponar … pullit vp the brod of the windo

8. In other phrasal combinations with advs. a. To pull, bend or break down. b. To draw a weapon or the like furth or out from its sheath or covering. c. To pull (sails) up or doun, to hoist or lower sail. Also fig. d. To set up or raise (one's banner).a. 1539 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 208.
Jhone Vatsone had bigit ane house … one our common vithout leif … and the haill communite pullit it down 1549 Compl. 41/24.
Pul doune the nok of the ra in daggar vyise Ib. 121/23.
Kyng Alexander … gart his sodiours pul doune the crops of the green treis 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 80.
That this power, that flowes fra thir words, is able to rugg and pull down ane uther substance, to wit the flesh and blood of Christ Iesus 1664 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 576.
They … pulled down severall of the doors of the said house and neidnailled others 1676 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 17 May.
Decerns to modificatioune the said William his pulling doun ane hous to the said Bessie in threttie shilling Scotsb. c1460 Regim. Princ. 299 (Maitl.).
Pull out thy wrast and gar thame sownd alyk 1531 Bell. Boece I 203.
He pullit furth his dageir, and drave the king to the hart c1578 Reid Swire 74.
Pull'd a1578 Pitsc. I 49/13.
They pullit out suordis and faught right cruellie Ib. 117/27.
The bischoip … pullit out ane be ane or twa be twa quhill he had brokin thame all [arrows] Ib. 94/23, 117/18, II 314/27. 1582 Lanark B. Rec. 89.
They … pullet out thre suordis upon me 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 699.
His pintle against the palice wall Puld out to pissc. (1) 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1027.
And cause Dame Uertew pull vp all hir salis 1531 Bell. Boece I 65.
Cadall pullit up salis, and, with fortunat windis, arrivit in Ireland Ib. 120. 1533 Boece 632b.
King James … commanded the mariners to pull up salis 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 35 (B).
We pullit vp sailis and culd our ankeris wey a1578 Pitsc. I 378/16.fig. a1570-86 Dunb. Maitl. F. lxxxiii 15.
Thairfor of comfort pull vp all thy sailis(2) a1568 Bann. MS 249b/40.
Schippis off tour … Pulland doun sailis and landand at Eildoun tred. a1578 Pitsc. I 118/13.
He pullit vp his baner in Sanctandrois and passit to Falkland … in arreyit battell