Pull vs Puff - What's the difference?

pull | puff |

As nouns the difference between pull and puff

is that pull is an act of pulling (applying force) while puff is (colloquial) brothel, bordello.

As a verb pull

is to apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.

pull

English

Verb

(en verb)

to apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force

* Bible, Genesis viii. 9

He put forth his hand and pulled her in.

* Shakespeare

Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows.

To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck.

to pull''' fruit from a tree; to '''pull''' flax; to '''pull a finch

to apply a force such that an object comes toward the person or thing applying the force

You're going to have to pull harder to get that cork out of the bottle.

To attract or net; to pull in.

* Marcella Ridlen Ray, Changing and Unchanging Face of United States Civil Society

Television, a favored source of news and information, pulls the largest share of advertising monies.

To draw apart; to tear; to rend.

* Bible, Lam. iii. 11

He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

(ambitransitive, UK, Ireland, slang) to persuade (someone) to have sex with one

I pulled at the club last night.

He's pulled that bird over there.

to remove (something), especially from public circulation or availability

Each day, they pulled the old bread and set out fresh loaves.

(informal) to do or perform

He regularly pulls 12-hour days, sometimes 14.

You'll be sent home if you pull another stunt like that.

to retrieve or generate for use

I'll have to pull a part number for that.

* 2006 , Michael Bellomo, Joel Elad, How to Sell Anything on Amazon...and Make a Fortune!

They'll go through their computer system and pull a report of all your order fulfillment records for the time period you specify.

to toss a frisbee with the intention of launching the disc across the length of a field

to row

* 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter VI

It had been a sort of race hitherto, and the rowers, with set teeth and compressed lips, had pulled stroke for stroke.

To strain (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc.).

(video games, ambitransitive) To draw (a hostile non-player character) into combat, or toward or away from some location or target.

* 2003 April 9, "Richard Lawson" (username), " Monual's Willful Ignorance", in alt.games.everquest, Usenet:

…we had to clear a long hallway, run up half way, pull the boss mob to us, and engage.

* 2004 October 18, "Stush" (username), " Re: focus pull", in alt.games.dark-age-of-camelot, Usenet:

Basically buff pet, have it pull lots of mobs, shield pet, chain heal pet, have your aoe casters finish off hurt mobs once pet gets good aggro.

* 2005 August 2, "Brian" (username), " Re: How to tank Stratholme undead pulls?", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:

This is the only thing that should get you to break off from your position, is to pull something off the healer.

* 2007 April 10, "John Salerno" (username), " Re: Managing the Command Buttons", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:

You could also set a fire trap, pull the mob toward it, then send in your pet….

* 2008 August 18, "Mark (newsgroups)" (username), " Re: I'm a priest now!", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:

Shield yourself, pull' with Mind Blast if you want, or merely ' pull with SW:P to save mana, then wand, fear if you need to, but use the lowest rank fear.

to score a certain amount of points in a sport.

* How many points did you pull today, Albert?

(horse-racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning.

The favourite was pulled .

(printing, dated) To take or make (a proof or impression); so called because hand presses were worked by pulling a lever.

(cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. (See noun sense.)

* R. H. Lyttelton

Never pull a straight fast ball to leg.

(UK, slang) To pour beer from a pump, keg, or other source.

Let's stop at Finnigan's. The barkeep ''pulls'' a good pint.

Synonyms

* drag, tow, tug, yank * score * (to remove from circulation) recall, withdraw, yank * (sense) carry out, complete, do, execute, perform * (to retrieve or generate for use) generate, get, get hold of, get one's hands on, lay one's hands on, obtain, retrieve * score

Antonyms

* push, repel, shove

Derived terms

See also pulling * it's not the whistle that pulls the train * overpull * pull a... * pull about * pull a face * pull a fast one * pull ahead * pull away * pull back * pull down * pull for * pull in * pulling * pull in one's horns * pull off * pull oneself together * pull one's weight * pull out * pull out all the stops * pull out of the fire * pull over * pull-quote * pull rank * pull round * pull somebody's leg * pull the other one * * pull the wool over someone's eyes * pull through * pull together * pull up

Noun

(en noun)

An act of pulling (applying force)

He gave the hair a sharp pull and it came out.

* Jonathan Swift

I awakened with a violent pull upon the ring which was fastened at the top of my box.

An attractive force which causes motion towards the source

The spaceship came under the pull of the gas giant.

iron fillings drawn by the pull of a magnet

She took a pull on her cigarette.

Any device meant to be pulled, as a lever, knob, handle, or rope

a zipper pull

(slang, dated) Something in one's favour in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing.

In weights the favourite had the pull .

Appeal or attraction (as of a movie star)

(Internet, uncountable) The situation where a client sends out a request for data from a server, as in server pull'', ''pull technology

A journey made by rowing

* 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter V

As Blunt had said, the burning ship lay a good twelve miles from the Malabar, and the pull was a long and a weary one. Once fairly away from the protecting sides of the vessel that had borne them thus far on their dismal journey, the adventurers seemed to have come into a new atmosphere.

(dated) A contest; a struggle.

a wrestling pull

(Carew)

(obsolete, poetic) Loss or violence suffered.

* Shakespeare

Two pulls at once; / His lady banished, and a limb lopped off.

(slang) The act of drinking.

to take a pull at a mug of beer

(Charles Dickens)

(cricket) A kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side.

* R. A. Proctor

The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket.

Synonyms

* (act of pulling) tug, yank * (attractive force) attraction * (device meant to be pulled) handle, knob, lever, rope * (influence) influence, sway

Antonyms

* (act of pulling) push, shove * (attractive force) repulsion * (device meant to be pulled) button, push, push button * (influence)

Derived terms

* on the pull * pull cord * ring-pull

puff

English

Noun

(countable) A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.

(uncountable) The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.

out of puff

(countable) A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.

puff of smoke

* Flatman

to every puff of wind a slave

(informal, countable) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.

(countable) A flamboyant or alluring statement about an object's quality.

(dated, slang) A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type.

* 1842 , "A Paper on Puffing", in Ainsworth's Magazine

Is nothing to be said in praise of the "Emporiums" and "Repositories" and "Divans," which formerly were mere insignificant tailors', toymen's, and tobacconists' shops? Is the transition from the barber's pole to the revolving bust of the perruquier, nothing? — the leap from the bare counter-traversed shop to the carpeted and mirrored saloon of trade, nothing? Are they not, one and all, practical puffs , intended to invest commerce with elegance, and to throw a halo round extravagance?

* 1848 , Mrs. White, "Puffs and Puffing", in Sharpe's London Magazine

Here the duke is made the vehicle of the tailor's advertisement, and the prelusive compliments, ostensibly meant for his grace, merge into a covert recommendation of the coat. Several specimens might be given of this species of puff , which is to be met with in almost every paper, and is a favourite form with booksellers, professional men, &c.

* 2008 , David Paton-Williamspage, Katterfelto , page xii

He was the eighteenth century king of spin, or, in the language of the day, the "prince of puff ".

A puffball.

A powder puff.

(uncountable, slang) The drug cannabis.

(countable) A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.

cream puff

(derogatory, slang, British, particularly northern UK) a homosexual; a poof

(slang, dated, UK) life

* 1938 , P. G. Wodehouse (Bertie Wooster speaking of Spode) in The Code of the Woosters

Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?

Synonyms

* (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) * (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) wind * (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) * drag * (cannabis) blow, dope, ganja, pot, weed; see also * (type of cake) pastry * (poof) See poof

Derived terms

* powder puff * puff pastry * puffer * puffery * puffing * puff piece

Verb

(en verb)

To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs.

To pant.

* L'Estrange

The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing, from the chase.

* 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter VI

Puffing and panting, we plodded on until within about a mile of the harbor we came upon a sight that brought us all up standing.

(archaic) To advertise.

To blow as an expression of scorn.

* South

It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation.

To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.

(Boyle)

To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.

* Herbert

Then came brave Glory puffing by.

To drive with a puff, or with puffs.

* Dryden

The clearing north will puff the clouds away.

To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.

* Dryden

I puff the prostitute away.

To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.

a bladder puffed with air

* Shakespeare

the sea puffed up with winds

To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up .

* Jowett

puffed up with military success

To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.

* Macaulay

puffed with wonderful skill

Derived terms

* puffed * puff up * puff out