"wool coat of a sheep," Old English fleos, flies "fleece, wool, fur, sealskin," from West Germanic *flusaz (source also of Middle Dutch vluus, Dutch vlies, Middle High German vlius, German Vlies), which is of uncertain origin; probably from PIE *pleus- "to pluck," also "a feather, fleece" (source also of Latin pluma "feather, down," Lithuanian plunksna "feather").

1845; in music for stringed instruments of the viol family, noting a manner of playing (and the effect produced by it) when the strings are plucked by the finger instead of sounded by the bow, from Italian pizzicato "plucked," past participle of pizzicare "to pluck (strings), pinch," from pizzare "to prick, to sting," from Old Italian pizzo "point, edge," from Vulgar Latin *pits-, probably of imitative origin. As an adjective from 1880.

1580s, "a violent and involuntary contraction of the muscular parts of the body," from Latin convulsionem (nominative convulsio) "cramp, convulsion," noun of action from past-participle stem of convellere "to tear loose," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + vellere "to pluck, pull violently" (see svelte).

Meaning "any violent or irregular (social, political, etc.) motion, turmoil" is from 1640s. Of laughter, 1735. Related: Convulsions; convulsional.

1640s, "to shake or disturb by violent, irregular action" (transitive); 1680s, "to draw or contract spasmodically or involuntarily" (intransitive); from Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere (transitive only) "to pull away, to pull this way and that, wrench," hence "to weaken, overthrow, destroy," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + vellere "to pluck, pull violently" (see svelte). Related: Convulsed (1630s); convulsing.

small finch-like Eurasian songbird, 1530s, from French linette "grain of flax," diminutive of lin "flax," from Latin linum "flax, linen thread" (see linen). Flaxseed forms much of the bird's diet. Old English name for the bird, linetwige, with second element perhaps meaning "to pluck," yielded Middle English and dialectal lintwhite. Also compare German Hänfling "linnet," from Hanf "hemp."

"having teeth like a comb," 1793," from Latin pectinatus, past participle of pectinare, from pecten "a comb," from PIE *p(e)tk- "to comb" (source also of Greek pekein, pektein "to comb, shear," Lithuanian pėšti "to pluck," Old High German fehtan "to fight;" see fight (v.)). Related: Pectination; pectineal. As a verb, "to fit together in a relation" (like the teeth of two combs), 1640s.

late 14c., "haul up and fasten with a rope," from Middle Dutch trisen "hoist," from trise "pulley," of unknown origin. Hence at a tryse (mid-15c.) "in a very short time," literally "at a single pluck or pull." The Middle Dutch word is the source of Dutch trijsen "to hoist" and is cognate with Middle Low German trissen (source of Danish trisse, German triezen); its etymology is unknown.

1590s, "to pluck up by the roots," from French déraciner, from Old French desraciner "uproot, dig out, pull up by the roots," from des- (see dis-) + racine "root," from Late Latin radicina, diminutive of Latin radix "root" (from PIE root *wrād- "branch, root"). Related: Deracinated.

The French past participle, déraciné, literally "uprooted," was used in English from 1921 in a sense of "uprooted from one's national or social environment."

mid-14c., "choose, select, pick; collect and gather the best things from a number or quantity," especially with reference to literature, from Old French cuiler "collect, gather, pluck, select" (12c., Modern French cueillir), from Latin colligere "gather together, collect," originally "choose, select" (see collect).

Meaning "select livestock according to quality" is from 1889; notion of "select and kill (animals)," usually in the name of reducing overpopulation or improving the stock, is from 1934. Related: Culled; culling.

late 14c., "sudden violent muscular contraction," from Old French spasme (13c.) and directly from Latin spasmus "a spasm," from Greek spasmos "a spasm, convulsion; wincing; violent movement," from span "draw (a sword, etc.), pull out, pluck; tear away, drag; suck in; slurp down; contract violently," which is perhaps from a PIE *(s)peh- "to draw, set in motion (violently)," hence "to stretch." The figurative sense of "a sudden convulsion" (of emotion, politics, etc.) is attested by 1817.