tug
v.v. to pull something hard or quickly. You often do this when something is stuck or when you want to get someone's attention.
v. to pull something with a sudden, forceful effort. Often implies a sharp or repetitive motion rather than a steady draw.
The child tugs on his mother's sleeve.
The fisherman felt a sharp tug on the line and realized he had finally caught something.
As the ship drifted away from the pier, the thick ropes began to tug against the iron bollards with a rhythmic, straining sound.
From Middle English tuggen, toggen, from Old English togian (“to draw, drag”), from Proto-West Germanic togōn, from Proto-Germanic tugōną (“to draw, tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Cognate with Middle Low German togen (“to draw”), Middle High German zogen (“to pull, tear off”), Icelandic toga (“to pull, draw”). Related to tow.
Related to toga.
Often used with the preposition 'at' or 'on' to indicate the object being pulled.