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extractor

American  
[ik-strak-ter] / ɪkˈstræk tər /

noun

  • extractors
    plural
  1. a person or thing that extracts.

  2. (in a firearm or cannon) the mechanism that, after firing, pulls an empty or unfired cartridge or shell case out of the chamber and brings it into place for action by the ejector.

  3. a centrifuge for spinning wet laundry so as to remove excess water.

  4. Medicine/Medical, Dentistry. an instrument for drawing out, extracting, or pulling.


extractor British  
/ ɪkˈstræktə /

noun

  1. a person or thing that extracts

  2. an instrument for pulling something out or removing tight-fitting components

  3. a device for extracting liquid from a solid, esp a centrifugal dryer

  4. short for extractor fan

  5. a fitting in many firearms for removing spent cartridges from the chamber

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of extractor

First recorded in 1605–15; extract + -or 2


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.

See Examples For:

Use extractor fans when cooking or showering because they remove warm, moist air before it spreads through the home.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

Lhoist North America, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is an extractor, manufacturer and supplier of lime, limestone and other mineral-based products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

The problem was fixed recently when Bristol City Council staff replaced the extractor fans and blocked the vents.

From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2022

There was nothing else to do with the premium plants but ship them to an extractor to be mulched and reduced to generic oil.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2022

We ran twelve extractor loads through the whole system—all the way from the uncapping knife to the bottling tank.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

The development of these extractors came after front-line medics highlighted the urgent need for a safe, fast, minimally invasive way to remove shrapnel.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2025

Then there are what I would call "the hyper extractors."

From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2024

Toothpicks, cuticle pushers, tweezers and metal blemish extractors are the common tools that are being used to separate the shell and fragile membrane.

From Fox News ● Jan. 8, 2022

The rock extractors make an average of $5 per day, Mara said, and they often work in hazardous environments.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 7, 2021

The extractors took a break and then bulldozed their way into a third cell.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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