Plucking

Plucking is the act of pulling something from a surface or object with a quick, decisive motion. The term is used in a variety of contexts, including music, food preparation, and grooming.

In music, plucking is the technique of producing sound on a stringed instrument by pulling the string with a finger or with a plectrum. It is characteristic of guitars, harps, lutes, and many folk instruments. On notation, the term pizzicato is often used to indicate plucking; the resulting tone is typically bright and percussive compared with bowed or struck techniques. Harps and other plucked instruments often produce a ringing, sustained timbre when strings are released.

In meat production and poultry processing, plucking refers to the removal of feathers from birds. This is typically done as part of dressing poultry, using mechanical feather removers or manual plucking after initial scalding.

In agriculture and horticulture, plucking denotes removing fruit, leaves, or flowers from plants by hand. It is common in harvesting and pruning practices, such as plucking berries or tea leaves.

In grooming and cosmetic contexts, plucking describes the removal of hair from the body or face with tweezers or similar tools, especially for shaping eyebrows or removing facial hair. Repeated plucking can cause skin irritation, sensitivity, or ingrown hairs in some individuals.