To pull a finch

Pull \Pull\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pulled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Pulling}.] [AS. pullian; cf. LG. pulen, and Gael. peall,
   piol, spiol.]
   1. To draw, or attempt to draw, toward one; to draw forcibly.
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            Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows.  --Shak.
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            He put forth his hand . . . and pulled her in.
                                                  --Gen. viii.
                                                  9.
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   2. To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
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            He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in
            pieces; he hath made me desolate.     --Lam. iii.
                                                  11.
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   3. To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; to
      pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch.
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   4. To move or operate by the motion of drawing towards one;
      as, to pull a bell; to pull an oar.
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   5. (Horse Racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning;
      as, the favorite was pulled.
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   6. (Print.) To take or make, as a proof or impression; --
      hand presses being worked by pulling a lever.
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   7. (Cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. See
      {Pull}, n., 8.
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            Never pull a straight fast ball to leg. --R. H.
                                                  Lyttelton.
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   {To pull and haul}, to draw hither and thither. " Both are
      equally pulled and hauled to do that which they are unable
      to do. " --South.

   {To pull down}, to demolish; to destroy; to degrade; as, to
      pull down a house. " In political affairs, as well as
      mechanical, it is easier to pull down than build up."
      --Howell. " To raise the wretched, and pull down the
      proud." --Roscommon.

   {To pull a finch}. See under {Finch}.

   {To pull off}, take or draw off.
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Finch \Finch\ (f[i^]nch), n.; pl. {Finches} (f[i^]nch"[e^]z).
   [AS. finc; akin to D. vink, OHG. fincho, G. fink; cf. W. pinc
   a finch; also E. spink.] (Zool.)
   A small singing bird of many genera and species, belonging to
   the family {Fringillid[ae]}.
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   Note: The word is often used in composition, as in chaffinch,
         goldfinch, grassfinch, pinefinch, etc.
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   {Bramble finch}. See {Brambling}.

   {Canary finch}, the canary bird.

   {Copper finch}. See {Chaffinch}.

   {Diamond finch}. See under {Diamond}.

   {Finch falcon} (Zool.), one of several very small East Indian
      falcons of the genus {Hierax}.

   {To pull a finch}, to swindle an ignorant or unsuspecting
      person. [Obs.] "Privily a finch eke could he pull."
      --Chaucer.
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