plucking

[/ˈplʌkɪŋ/]
noun; verb (gerund/present participle)
colheita; arrancar; puxar
1. The act of pulling or picking something quickly and forcefully
She was plucking flowers from the garden.
Ela estava colhendo flores do jardim.
2. Removing hair from the body, especially eyebrows, by pulling it out individually
Plucking eyebrows is a common beauty routine.
Arrancar os pelos das sobrancelhas é uma rotina comum de beleza.
3. Playing a stringed instrument by pulling the strings with fingers
He was plucking the guitar strings to create a melody.
Ele estava tocando as cordas do violão para criar uma melodia.
4. Selecting or choosing someone or something from a group
The director was plucking talented actors from obscurity.
O diretor estava escolhendo atores talentosos da obscuridade.
In Brazil, 'plucking' (depilar) is particularly associated with beauty culture and grooming, especially regarding eyebrow maintenance and hair removal, which is highly valued in Brazilian beauty standards. The term is also widely used in agricultural contexts when discussing harvesting crops. In the USA, plucking is a common beauty practice, particularly among women for eyebrow grooming.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
pickingpullingharvestingyankingtwanging
Antonyms / Antônimos
insertingplacingplantinggrowing

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
colheita; arrancar; depilar
Most common usage across Brazil for picking fruits/flowers and removing hair
Rio de Janeiro
puxar; arrancar
Common colloquial usage for the action of pulling forcefully
São Paulo
colher; depilar
Standard formal usage, especially in beauty contexts
Portugal
colheita; arrancar; depilação
Similar to Brazilian Portuguese but with some pronunciation variations

Related Words

pluckpluckedpickerharveststringeyebrow

Related Idioms & Phrases

plucking someone from obscurity
plucking up courage
plucking the strings of emotion
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