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What is "to pull down"

The Collaborative International Dictionary
To pull down

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.

    Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows.
    --Shak.

    He put forth his hand . . . and pulled her in.
    --Gen. viii. 9.

  2. To draw apart; to tear; to rend.

    He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
    --Lam. iii. 11.

  3. To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward one; to pluck; as, to pull fruit; to pull flax; to pull a finch.

  4. To move or operate by the motion of drawing towards one; as, to pull a bell; to pull an oar.

  5. (Horse Racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning; as, the favorite was pulled.

  6. (Print.) To take or make, as a proof or impression; -- hand presses being worked by pulling a lever.

  7. (Cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. See Pull, n.,

  8. Never pull a straight fast ball to leg.
    --R. H. Lyttelton.

    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.

Usage examples of "to pull down".

I can bring in enough rabbits to pull down this wall in four places.

If, on the contrary, you were to ask Priestley, who was guided by the principles of the empirical use of reason only and opposed to all transcendental speculation, what could have induced him to pull down two such pillars of religion as the freedom and immortality of our soul (for the hope of a future life is with him an expectation only of the miracle of a resuscitation), he, who was himself so pious and zealous a teacher of religion, could answer nothing but that he was concerned for reason, which must suffer if certain subjects are withdrawn from the laws of material nature, the only laws which we can accurately know and fix.

To do this he had to pull down an iron handle, and a jangling at once made itself heard in the house.