pugilism
1118
from the Pacific Ocean into the US state of Washington. The cities of SEATTLE and Tacoma are on its shores.
pu·gi·lism /'pju:dʒ3lɪzəm/ n [U] fml (in former times) the art or sport of BOXING —tic /ˌpju:dʒ3'lɪstɪk/ adj
pu·gi·list /'pju:dʒ3lɪst/ n fml or pomp a BOXER
pug·na·cious /pʌg'neɪʃəs/ adj fml (of people or behaviour, but not countries) fond of quarrelling and fighting → compare BELLIGERENT —ly adv —nacity /pʌg'næsɪti/ —naciousness /-'neɪʃəsnɪs/ n [U] fml known for his pugnacity/pugnaciousness
pu·is·sance¹ /'pju:ɪsəns, 'pwi:səns/ n [U] poet or old use power or strength, especially of a king
puis·sance² /'pwi:səns/ n a competition in which riders have to make their horses jump over very high fences
pu·is·sant /'pju:ɪsənt, 'pwi:sənt/ adj poet or old use powerful
puke¹ /pju:k/ v [I;T(UP)] slang to be sick; VOMIT
puke² n [U] slang food brought back from the stomach through the mouth; VOMIT
puk·ka /'pʌkə/ adj especially IndE & PakE 1 good; of high quality 2 real; GENUINE 3 humor stiff and formal (from the fixed social manners supposed to be typical of the British in India during the period of British rule there)
pul·chri·tude /'pʌlkrɪtju:dɪ-tu:d/ n [U] fml or pomp beauty, especially of a woman —tudinous /ˌpʌlkrɪ'tju:dɪnəs ˌli -'tu:-/ adj
Pul·it·zer Prize /'pʊlɪtsə ˌpraɪz||-sər-/ one of the 21 prizes given every year in the US to people who have produced especially good work in JOURNALISM (=writing for newspapers), literature, or music. The prizes were started by the US newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911), and winning a Pulitzer Prize is regarded as a great honour. → compare BOOKER PRIZE
pull
pull¹ /pʊl/ v 1 [I;T] to bring (something) along behind one while moving: The horse was pulling a cart. | The train is pulled by a powerful engine. → compare DRAG 2 [I;T] to use force on (something), especially with the hands, in order to move it towards oneself or in the direction of the force: Help me move the piano over here; you push and I'll pull. | In an emergency pull the cord to stop the train. | sailors pulling on a rope | [+obj+adv/prep] She pulled her chair up to the table. | He pulled his socks on. | The cupboard door is stuck and I can't pull it open. | She pulled the fence apart/to pieces with her bare hands. 3 [T] to bring or press towards one in order to make an apparatus work: To fire the gun, just pull the trigger. 4 [T(OUT, UP)] to take (something out of a place where it is fixed or enclosed), usually with force: The decayed tooth should be pulled (out). | to pull the cork from a bottle | She went into the garden to pull (up) a few onions for dinner. 5 [T] to stretch and damage, by using force; STRAIN: He's pulled a muscle trying to lift the piano. 6 [T] to win, gain, or attract: The big match pulled in an enormous crowd. | She's unlikely to pull many votes at the election. | (infml) He's hoping to pull the girls with his flashy new car. 7 [T(on)] to bring out (a small weapon) ready for use: He pulled a gun on me. (=took out a gun and aimed it at me) 8 [T] especially BrE to get (beer) out of a barrel by pulling a handle: to pull a pint 9 [I] (of a horse) to struggle and press the mouth hard against the BIT 10 [T] slang, especially AmE to succeed in doing (a crime, something daring, something annoying or deceiving etc): They pulled a bank robbery. | What are you trying to pull? (=What trick are you trying to play?) 11 [T] tech to hold back (a horse in a race, or a blow being aimed in BOXING) with the intention of avoiding victory → see also pull one's punches (PUNCH) 12 [I;T] tech to hit (the ball in cricket or GOLF) away from a straight course and away from the side of the player's stronger hand 13 [I] old-fash to row 14 pull the other one! BrE also pull the other one, it's got bells on spoken a humorous expression, said when you think someone has just told you something untrue: 'We are increasing fares so that we can provide a better rail service.' 'Pull the other one, Bob, we all know that isn't true.' | 'Honest Mum, we've got the afternoon off school today.' 'Why don't you pull the other one, it's got bells on.' → compare PUSH; see also pull a fast one (FAST), pull one's finger out (FINGER), pull someone's leg (LEG), pull something out of the bag (BAG), pull to pieces (PIECE), pull rank (RANK), pull the rug out from under (RUG), pull one's socks up (SOCK), pull strings (STRING), pull one's weight (WEIGHT), pull the wool over someone's eyes (WOOL)
pull ahead phr v [I(off)] to get in front by moving faster: The taxi soon pulled ahead of the bus.
pull at sthg. phr v [T] 1 to seize and pull sharply and repeatedly: She pulled at the thread until it came out of the cloth. | The child pulled at his mother's coat, wanting to be lifted up. 2 old-fash to cause tobacco smoke to flow from (a pipe) 3 old-fash to take a long drink from (a container)
pull away phr v [I(from)] (especially of a vehicle or its driver) to start to move away a) from the side of the road b) from another moving vehicle: He jumped onto the bus just as it was pulling away. | The thieves steadily pulled away from the police car.
pull sbdy./sthg. ⇔ down phr v [T] 1 to break in pieces and destroy (something built): They are pulling down those houses to make room for a new hotel. 2 to weaken in health
pull in phr v 1 [I] (of a train) to arrive at a station 2 [I] (of a vehicle or its driver) to move to one side and perhaps stop → compare PULL OVER; see also PULL-IN 3 [T(pull sbdy. ⇔ in)] to take (a possible criminal) to a police station: The police have pulled him in for questioning. 4 [T(pull sthg. ⇔ in)] infml to earn (a lot of money): She's pulling in quite a bit in her new job.
pull sthg. ⇔ off phr v [T] infml to succeed in (a difficult attempt): The trick looked impossible, but she pulled it off.
pull out phr v 1 [I] (of a train) to leave a station → compare PULL AWAY 2 [I] (of a vehicle or its driver) to move a) away from the side of the road b) in front of another moving vehicle 3 [I;T(= pull sbdy. ⇔ out)(of)] to (cause to) leave a place or time of trouble: The general pulled his troops out of the area. | Jim saw that the firm was going to be ruined, so he pulled out. → see also pull out all the stops (STOP)
pull over phr v [I;T(= pull sthg. ⇔ over)] a) (of a vehicle or its driver) to move over to one side of the road: The policeman signalled to him to pull over. b) to drive (one's vehicle) to the side of the road → compare PULL IN
pull through phr v [I;T(= pull sbdy. through)] 1 also pull round — to (cause to) live in spite of illness or wounds: He's very ill, but with careful nursing he'll pull through. → compare bring through (BRING) 2 to (help to) succeed in spite of difficulties: Margaret had difficulty with her work for the examinations, but her teacher pulled her through.
pull together phr v 1 [I] (of a group of people) to work so as to help a shared effort 2 [T no pass. (pull sbdy. together)] to control the feelings of (oneself): Stop acting like a baby! Pull yourself together! 3 [T(pull sthg. together)] to cause to improve through proper organization: We need an experienced man to pull the department together.
pull up phr v 1 [I;T(pull sthg. up)] to (cause to) come to a stop: The car pulled up at the traffic lights. | His unexpected criticism rather pulled me up short. (=made me stop and think) 2 [I(to, with)] to come level (with another competitor in a race) 3 [T(on, for)(pull sbdy. up)] to stop (someone who is making mistakes) and express disapproval
pull² n 1 [C;U] (an act of pulling: Give the rope a good/gentle pull. | the moon's pull on the sea → compare TUG 2 [S] a difficult steep climb: It's a long pull up this hill. 3 [C(at)] old-fash an act of taking in tobacco smoke or of taking a long drink: He took a pull at his pipe/at his beer. 4 [C] (usually in comb.) a rope, handle etc, used for pulling something: a bellpull 5 [S;U] infml special influence; (unfair) personal advantage: The importance of his family's name gives him a certain pull/lots of pull in this town. 6 [C] a stroke in cricket or GOLF that PULLS the ball
pull-back /'pʊlbæk/ n the act of moving soldiers away from the area where they were fighting; +from The government is planning to implement a second pullback from the area.
,pull-down 'menu n a list of things a computer program can do. You make a pull-down menu appear on the computer screen by CLICKing on a special word with a MOUSE.