extremity

[ ik-strem-i-tee ]

/ ɪkˈstrɛm ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for: extremity / extremities on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ex·trem·i·ties.

the extreme or terminal point, limit, or part of something.

a limb of the body.

Usually extremities. the end part of a limb, as a hand or foot: to experience cold in one's extremities.

Often extremities. a condition or circumstance of extreme need, distress, etc.: to suffer the extremities of being poor.

the utmost or any extreme degree: the extremity of joy.

an extreme or extraordinary measure, act, etc.: to go to any extremity to feed the children.

extreme nature or character: the extremity of his views on foreign trade.

Archaic. a person's last moment before death.

OTHER WORDS FOR extremity

1 end, termination; verge; border, boundary.

See synonyms for extremity on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of extremity

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English word from Latin word extrēmitās.See extreme, -ity

OTHER WORDS FROM extremity

su·per·ex·trem·i·ty, noun, plural su·per·ex·trem·i·ties.

Words nearby extremity

extreme sport, extreme unction, extremism, extremist, extremitas, extremity, extremophile, extremum, extricable, extricate, extrication

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use extremity in a sentence

Lack of proper protection from the cold can lead to frostbite, which is inherently more common in your extremities.
Best winter gloves: Our picks for touch screen gloves, ski gloves, and more|PopSci Commerce Team|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
Though the notion that we lose half our body heat through the head might be a medical myth, wearing a hat does help retain heat and protect our extremities such as the ears, which are sure to suffer first when it comes to the cold.
Best winter hats: Comfortable hats to keep you warm|Carsen Joenk|January 20, 2021|Popular-Science
That means he or she kept pumping blood to the extremities and didn’t get enough to the brain.
How Does Your Brain Respond When You Hold Your Breath?|Alex Hutchinson|November 25, 2020|Outside Online
When the weather turns and the wind picks up, our bodies' extremities are the first to feel the chill.
Gloves that make excellent gifts for just about anybody|PopSci Commerce Team|October 17, 2020|Popular-Science

The new study also linked the extremity of that heat wave to climate change.
Climate change drove Australian wildfires to extremes|Carolyn Gramling|April 29, 2020|Science News For Students
“A lot of extremity you see in YA is merely attempting to capture the intensity” of being a teen, Lorentz says.
The War Inside: Terrorism & Teenhood in ‘No Dawn Without Darkness’|Hugh Ryan|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“It is not implausible that a greater proportion of torso and extremity fat may protect against injury,” the report said.
Why Are We Fat? Let's Blame Cars|David Frum|April 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
To do so missing an extremity is astonishing—and an inspiration.
George W. Bush Leads Wounded Warriors Ride|Mark McKinnon|April 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is an important advance when the branching lines are set in a bunch-like arrangement at the extremity of the arm-line.
Children's Ways|James Sully
The next day, we rounded the north extremity of the Cumberland Islands.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
It lives in the large intestine, especially the cecum, with its slender extremity embedded in the mucous membrane.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It kept as far as possible from the fort, and cast anchor at the most outward extremity of the bay.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
Near the western extremity of the Island of Cuba, on the southern coast, is found one of the finest tobaccos in the world.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

British Dictionary definitions for extremity

extremity

/ (ɪkˈstrɛmɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the farthest or outermost point or section; termination

the greatest or most intense degree

an extreme condition or state, as of adversity or disease

a limb, such as a leg, arm, or wing, or the part of such a limb farthest from the trunk

(usually plural) archaic a drastic or severe measure

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

Medical definitions for extremity

extremity

[ ĭk-strĕm′ĭ-tē ]

An end of an elongated or pointed structure.

A bodily limb or appendage.

extremity

OTHER WORDS FOR extremity

Origin of extremity

OTHER WORDS FROM extremity

Words nearby extremity

Words related to extremity

How to use extremity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for extremity

Medical definitions for extremity