extraction
Americannoun
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an act or instance of extracting.
the extraction of a molar.
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the state or fact of being extracted.
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descent or lineage.
to be of foreign extraction.
noun
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the act of extracting or the condition of being extracted
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something extracted; an extract
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the act or an instance of extracting a tooth or teeth
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a tooth or teeth extracted
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origin, descent, lineage, or ancestry
of German extraction
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of extraction
1375–1425; late Middle English extraccioun < Late Latin extractiōn- (stem of extractiō ). See extract, -ion
Explanation
Extraction is the action of removing something. For example, when the dentist yanks out your rotten tooth, the extraction is complete! In addition to this wince-inducing meaning, the noun extraction is the process of separating out something from a chemical mixture or compound. Take decaffeinated coffee — the caffeine is removed by extraction, so you've got science to thank for not being jittery after breakfast. Extraction can also refer to your family background. If you are of Greek extraction, for example, your family history can be traced back to Greece.
Vocabulary lists containing extraction
Smile
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A Streetcar Named Desire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This was particularly important in connection with underground activities like excavation and extraction, he said, pointing for instance to quakes triggered by disposal of wastewater from the fracking industry in Texas.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
Both cast debt as a bogeyman turning capitalism into an extraction device that, left unchecked or unwisely channeled, can take everything from any of us.
From Salon • May 4, 2026
However, BP said its upstream production - which refers to the search and extraction of oil and gas - had been flat in the quarter.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The study reported that larvae extraction could reduce agave populations by up to 57 percent, with juvenile plants especially affected because they are often harvested for larvae even though they are important for population persistence.
From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026
The day after his extraction from the cookhouse, Marlena turns and sees him ducking behind a tent flap.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
