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
Derived 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
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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.
Jobs in utilities, oil and gas extraction as well as transportation and warehousing also saw strong increases in hours worked.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
The mine opened in 2012 on a licence permitting the extraction of 92,500 tonnes of coal over four-and-a-half years.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
City leaders hope F&M Bank Amphitheater of Long Beach, located next to the famed Queen Mary, will supplant declining revenues from oil extraction and lead to an uptick in tourism.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
And on top of that: fishing, boating, mineral extraction, and protection from underground toxins that could blanket Utah’s most heavily populated area and drive everyone away—not just from Box Elder, but from the state altogether.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 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.
