also teazel, teazle, type of plant, Old English tæsel "large thistle used in teasing cloth," from Proto-Germanic *taisilo (source also of Old High German zeisala), which is related to the source of tease (v.), which is from Old English tæsan "to pluck."
"pistil or pistil-part of a plant," 1835, from Modern Latin carpellum (1817 in French), a diminutive form from Greek karpos "fruit" (also "returns, profit"), literally "that which is plucked" (from PIE root *kerp- "to gather, pluck, harvest"). Related: Carpellary.
small instrument used to pluck the strings of a lyre or other stringed musical instrument, late 14c., from Latin plectrum (plural plectra), from Greek plēktron "thing to strike with" (pick for a lyre, cock's spur, spear point, etc.), from plēk-, root of plēssein "to strike" (from PIE root *plak- (2) "to strike").
late 14c., "a feather" (especially a large and conspicuous one), from Old French plume "soft feather, down; feather bed," and directly from Latin pluma "a small soft feather, down; the first beard," from PIE root *pleus- "to pluck; a feather, fleece" (source of Old English fleos "fleece"). Meaning "a long streamer of smoke, etc." is attested from 1878.
late 12c., to-twic-chen "pull apart with a quick jerk," related to Old English twiccian "to pluck, gather, catch hold of," from Proto-Germanic *twikjon- (source also of Low German twicken, Dutch twikken, Old High German gizwickan, German zwicken "to pinch, tweak"). Related: Twitched; twitching.
1610s, "of the nature of or characterized by convulsion," from French convulsif, from Medieval Latin *convulsivus, from convuls-, past-participle stem of convellere "to pull away, to pull this way and that, wrench," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + vellere "to pluck, pull violently" (see svelte). Meaning "producing or attended by convulsions" is from 1700. Related: Convulsively.
"the Book of Psalms," Middle English sauter, psauter, from Old English saltere, psaltere, Old French sautier, psaltier, and directly from Church Latin psalterium "the songs of David," in secular Latin, "stringed instrument played by twanging," from Greek psaltērion "stringed instrument, psaltery, harp," from psallein "to pluck, play on a stringed instrument" (see psalm).
early 15c., depilacioun, "loss of hair;" 1540s, "act or process of removing hair from the skin or a hide;" from Modern Latin depilationem, noun of action from past-participle stem of Late Latin depilare "pull out the hair, pluck out the feathers," from de- "completely" (see de-) + pilatus, past participle of Latin pilare "deprive of hair," from pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)).
