extract
verb/ɪkˈstɹækt/ · /ɛkˈstɹækt/
Etymology Borrowed from Latin extractum, neuter perfect passive participle of extrahō, from ex- (“out of”) + trahō (“to drag”).
1
To draw out; to pull out; to remove forcibly from a fixed position, as by traction or suction, etc.
- to extract a tooth from its socket, a stump from the earth, or a splinter from the finger
- The bee / Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet.1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
2 more examples
- The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania. The first barrels of crude fetched $18 (around $450 at today’s prices).2013 August 3, “Yesterday’s fuel”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
- There is, in fact, growing recognition in the Department that giving free rein to the open access operators will extract revenue from Great British Railways.2025 March 5, Christian Wolmar, “GBR: just how clear are the government's objectives?”, in RAIL, number 1030, page 41:
2
To withdraw by squeezing, distillation, or other mechanical or chemical process. Compare abstract (transitive verb).
- to extract an essential oil from a plant
- Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3:
3
To pick out; to cite or reproduce a snippet of
- extract a passage from a text.
- extract a line from a song.
4 more examples
- extract a clip from a video
- extract the drum parts from an mp3.
- I have thought it proper to extract out of that pamphlet a few of those notorious falsehoods.1724, Jonathan Swift, “Drapier's Letters”, in 4:
- As his work is probably not easily accessible to many of my readers, I shall perhaps consult their convenience by extracting his description entire.1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 332:
4
To select parts of a whole
- We need to try to extract the positives from the defeat.
5
Arithmetic To determine (a root of a number).
- Please extract the cube root of 27.
- […] Mr. Nackybal was thoroughly examined, both in cubing and extracting, from the table that Louit had provided.1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
- Synonyms
- outdraw, sunder out
- Derived terms
- coextract, extractability, extractable, extractant, extractible, extractive, extract the Michael, extract the urine, immunoextract, nonextracted, phytoextract, postextracted, preextract, reextracted, unextracted