PLUCK  , to pull or pick off something, as

flowers from a plant, feathers from a bird . The word in O . Eng. is pluccian or ploccian and is represented by numerous forms in Teutonic languages, cf . Ger. pfliicken, Du. plukken, Dan. plakke, &c . In sense and form a plausible identification has been found with Ital. piluccare, to pick grapes, hair, feathers, cf . Fr. eplucher, pick . These romanic words are to be referred to Lat. pilus, hair, which has also given " peruke " or " periwig " and " plush." Difficulties of phonology, history and chronology, however, seem to show that this close similarity is only a coincidence . " Pluck," in the sense of courage, was originally a slang word of the prize-ring, and Sir W . Scott (Journal, Sept . 4, 1827) speaks of the " want of that article blackguardly called pluck." In butcher's parlance the " pluck " of an animal is the heart, liver and lungs, probably so called from their being " plucked " or pulled out of the carcase immediately after slaughtering . The heart being the typical seat of courage, the transference is obvious . In university colloquial or slang use, " to pluck " is to refuse to pass a candidate on examination; the more usual colloquial word is now " to plough." At the granting of degrees at Oxford objection to a candidate could be taken for other reasons than failure at examination, and the person thus challenging drew the attention of the proctor in congregation by " plucking " a piece of black silk attached to the back of his gown .