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
- nonextraction noun
- overextraction noun
- preextraction noun
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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South America - Middle School
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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.
But the Kremlin calculates its mineral extraction tax based in part on the prior month’s prevailing prices for Russian oil exports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Pararescue teams deployed extensively throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, conducting thousands of missions to rescue US and allied troops that were wounded or required extraction.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
As the lake’s water sources diminish because of water use agreements regarding the Colorado River, and as this region gains more industrial activity from proposed lithium extraction, air pollution is likely to only worsen.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Last year, it ranked eighth worldwide in terms of copper extraction volume, behind global giants such as BHP Group, Glencore Plc and Rio Tinto, according to industry statistics.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The Euskadis were well-to-do, handsome people of Basque extraction.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
