ˈpull-ˌback
[f. phr. to pull back, pull v. 24.]
1. a. The action or an act of pulling back.
| 1668 Dryden Evening's Love Epil. 14 In the French stoop, and the pull-back o' the arm. 1900 G. Swift Somerley 146 An occasional wrench and pull-back of the arms gave him considerable pain. 1903 A. Maclaren Last Leaves ii. 21 There is very little conscious check or pull-back when we contemplate doing them again. |
b. spec. An orderly withdrawal of military troops. Also attrib. orig. U.S.
| 1951 Baltimore News-Post 19 Mar. (Home Final 7th ed.) 1/2 Those who think the Red pullback is leading up to something don't put so much stock in the Red's abandonment of prepared defenses. 1953 Sun (Baltimore) 8 May b1/7 (heading) Reds continue Laos pullback. 1962 Listener 29 Nov. 896/2 The New York Times said the Chinese were now ‘asking for border talks after a pull⁓back of troops that would still leave them in full possession of their main territorial objective’. 1971 E. Afr. Standard (Nairobi) 10 Apr. 2/7 He was working towards total American withdrawal and would step up the pull⁓back rate. 1974 Times 7 Jan. 4/1 (heading) Tel Aviv prepares pull-back offer. 1977 Time 10 Oct. 12/3 We had to get very deeply involved in pushing for a pullback and cease-fire. |
c. Cinematogr. A shot in which the scene is observed to recede.
| 1957 Manvell & Huntley Film Music ii. 34 Long track, mostly in medium or medium-close shot, with one large pull-back during the market-place scene. 1959 W. S. Sharps Dict. Cinematogr. 121/2 Pull back, the backward movement of a camera from a close to a long shot. 1977 Listener 5 May 590/1 Will Frayn appear next time..on the end of a zoom-in or a pull back? |
d. Tap-dancing. (See quot. 1957.)
| 1957 P. Draper in Dance Mag. May 60/3 A pull-back is a tap made by the front part of the foot striking the floor while the body is in the air moving backwards. 1975 New Yorker 7 July 26/3 The last bit to be recorded..was a wonderful tap dance—a series of time steps, pullbacks, flaps..and pickups done by Michael Bennett himself. |
2. That which pulls back; that which opposes progress or action; a retarding influence; a check; = back-set n. 1, drawback n. 4. (Very common in 17th c.) Now colloq. and dial.
| a 1591 H. Smith Serm. on 1 Cor. ix. 24, Wks. 1867 II. 98 Let us not fear all or any of our adversaries or pull-backs. 1604 Hieron Wks. I. 541 There are so many delayes, and so many pul-backs. 1662 Pepys Diary 31 Dec., I fear when all is done I must be forced to maintain my father myself..which will be a very great pull back to me in my fortune. 1710 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 21 Oct., Your disorders are a pull-back for your good qualities. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 354 Which (having expended much to relieve her) was a great Pull-back, as the good old Woman called it. 1854 A. E. Baker Northants. Gloss. s.v., ‘He has had so many pull backs, he could not get on’. |
3. A contrivance or attachment for pulling something back. a. See quot. 1703. b. A contrivance for pulling the fullness of a woman's skirt to the back, so as to make the front hang quite plain.
| 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 100 Smiths in London ask'd me 6d. per Pound for Casements.., if they made them with Turn-bouts..or Cock-spurs, and Pull backs at the Hind-side to pull them to with. 1885 ‘Tic Roma’ St. Peter & Cock xvi. 210 She laid her scissors on the pull-back. 1890 Standard 10 Mar., As for the ‘pull-back’, it seems to be on the wane, not so much because it was a hindrance to progression, but because it did not suit more than a small minority of figures. |