extract

1 of 2

verb

ex·tract ik-ˈstrakt

usually in sense 5 ˈek-ˌstrakt

extracted; extracting; extracts

Synonyms of extract next

transitive verb

: to draw forth (as by research)

extract data

: to pull or take out forcibly

extracted a wisdom tooth

: to obtain by much effort from someone unwilling

extracted a confession

: to withdraw (something, such as a juice or a constituent element) by physical or chemical process

: to treat with a solvent so as to remove a soluble substance

: to separate (a metal) from an ore

: to determine (a mathematical root) by calculation

: to select (excerpts) and copy out or cite

extractability

ik-ˌstrak-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

(ˌ)ek-

noun

extractable

ik-ˈstrak-tə-bəl

ˈek-ˌstrak-

adjective

extract

2 of 2

noun

ex·tract ˈek-ˌstrakt

: a selection from a writing or discourse : excerpt

: a product (such as an essence or concentrate) prepared by extracting

especially : a solution (as in alcohol) of essential constituents of a complex material (such as meat or an aromatic plant)

Did you know?

Do you exact or extract revenge?

The verb exact (as in, "exacting revenge" or "exacting a promise") is not as commonly encountered as the adjective exact, (as in "an exact copy" or "exact measurements"). Sometimes people will mistakenly use the more common verb extract when they really want exact. Extract can refer to removing something by pulling or cutting or to getting information from someone who does not want to give it. While both words refer to getting something they are used in different ways. You extract a tooth, but you exact revenge.

Did you know?

The Crisscrossing Histories of Abstract and Extract

Abstract is most frequently used as an adjective (“abstract ideas”) and a noun (“an abstract of the article”), but its somewhat less common use as a verb in English helps to clarify its Latin roots. The verb abstract is used to mean “summarize,” as in “abstracting an academic paper.” This meaning is a figurative derivative of the verb’s meanings “to remove” or “to separate.”

We trace the origins of abstract to the combination of the Latin roots ab-, a prefix meaning “from” or “away,” with the verb trahere, meaning “to pull” or “to draw.” The result was the Latin verb abstrahere, which meant “to remove forcibly” or “to drag away.” Its past participle abstractus had the meanings “removed,” “secluded,” “incorporeal,” and, ultimately, “summarized,” meanings which came to English from Medieval Latin.

Interestingly, the word passed from Latin into French with competing spellings as both abstract (closer to the Latin) and abstrait (which reflected the French form of abstrahere, abstraire), the spelling retained in modern French.

The idea of “removing” or “pulling away” connects abstract to extract, which stems from Latin through the combination of trahere with the prefix ex-, meaning “out of” or “away from.” Extract forms a kind of mirror image of abstract: more common as a verb, but also used as a noun and adjective. The adjective, meaning “derived or descended,” is now obsolete, as is a sense of the noun that overlapped with abstract, “summary.” The words intersected and have separated in modern English, but it’s easy to see that abstract applies to something that has been summarized, and summarized means “extracted from a larger work.”

Choose the Right Synonym for extract

educe, evoke, elicit, extract, extort mean to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved.

educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.

educed order out of chaos

evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory.

a song that evokes warm memories

elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response.

careful questioning elicited the truth

extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information.

extracted a confession from him

extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly.

extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

Example Sentences

Verb He extracted a credit card from his wallet. I had to have a tooth extracted. The tumor was surgically extracted. We finally extracted a confession from him. Investigators were able to extract useful information from the company's financial records. They are hoping to extract new insights from the test results. The machines extract the juice from the apples. oil extracted from sunflower seeds venom extracted from poisonous snakes Noun The recipe calls for a tablespoon of vanilla extract. the anthology includes a long extract from the epic poem See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Then, the Skinceautical purifying gel cleanser is applied to remove debris from pores with drying leaving skin refreshed and conditioned with is followed by a hydra facial (think vacuum on the skin) to extract dead skin sells and excess oils. —

Isiah Magsino, Town & Country, 2 Mar. 2023 The hottest stocks in the oil patch lately belong not to producers of energy but to some of the firms that provide equipment and services to extract oil and gas. —

Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2023 Elba, ever watchable, makes for a nicely conflicted antihero, torn between toeing the line and using unconventional methods — such as threatening to tattoo the eyeball of a reluctant witness — to extract information. —

Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023 For example, organizations ingesting large volumes of unstructured data but struggling to extract value may want to pursue a data lakehouse first. —

Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023 The claim misrepresents a 2021 study by a group of Chinese researchers who immunized hens with part of the coronavirus spike protein in order to extract antibodies from yolks in the hens’ eggs. —

oregonlive, 11 Feb. 2023 Planetary Technologies intends to extract magnesium hydroxide out of the waste left behind by the old asbestos mine. —

Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2023 Let this mixture sit for at least 10 minutes, to extract all that flavor before adding mayo. —

ABC News, 10 Feb. 2023 Companies have deployed armies of lobbyists, lavished lawmakers with gifts and campaign cash and at times trotted out questionable data to extract favorable deals in state capitals. —

Kenneth P. Vogel, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023

Noun

While zinc oxide is the leading active ingredient, its formula also features nourishing antioxidants such as calendula extract, known for its soothing qualities that prevent hyperpigmentation and fight signs of aging. —

Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2023 The extract, which used to be called Methyl Anthranilate, is the same chemical used for providing grape flavor in foods. —

Alexandra Skores, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023 These delicious gummies are made with high-quality, full-spectrum hemp extract, which contains a wide range of beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes that work together to provide a powerful and effective dose of CBD. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2023 The lightweight formula is infused with soothing cocoa extract, fine-line-eliminating peptides, and rejuvenating vitamin D and vitamin F (a.k.a. fatty acids), the latter of which promotes a healthy skin barrier. —

Allure, 3 Mar. 2023 Formulated with licorice water and extract (another K-beauty favorite ingredient) and caffeine, the cream helps brighten dark areas, tighten skin, and reduce puffiness. —

Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 27 Feb. 2023 Enter these prebiotic sodas, which combine prebiotic ingredients—sources often include a fiber called inulin from agave, cassava root, and Jerusalem artichokes, as well as cranberry extract—with apple cider vinegar. —

Karen Asp, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2023 Irshinskiy likes formulas that have unrefined oil, or better yet, olive oil extract, which has even less weight to it and won’t make your strands feel dirty. —

Danielle Blundell, Women's Health, 20 Feb. 2023 Kola nut extract and bisabolol soothe, while Vitamin E nourishes. —

Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 15 Feb. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'extract.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.