extraction

noun

ex·​trac·​tion ik-ˈstrak-shən 

1

: the act or process of extracting something

2

: ancestry, origin

a family of French extraction

3

: something extracted

Synonyms

• ancestry
• birth
• blood
• bloodline
• breeding
• descent
• family tree
• genealogy
• line
• lineage
• origin
• parentage
• pedigree
• stock
• strain

Examples of extraction in a Sentence

tooth extractions and other dental procedures

the extraction of teeth by dentists

the extraction of juices from plant matter

Recent Examples on the Web

Vapor extraction is a technique used by less than 2% of distilleries due to its time-intensive process and attention to detail. —Rachel King, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

Semiconductors are more important to the Oregon economy, other than natural resource extraction, so layoffs there is cause for some concern. —Meira Gebel, Axios, 16 Dec. 2024

The girl in question is Caroline Blackwood, a twenty-one-year-old heiress of aristocratic extraction, who would soon become the artist’s wife. —Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024

Growing American extraction capacity should be prioritized over strengthening foreign mining partnerships to guarantee a secure supply. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English extraccioun "removal (of blood, foreign matter from the body), determination (of the root of a number)," borrowed from Late Latin extractiōn-, extractiō "withdrawal, removal," from Latin extrac-, variant stem of extrahere "to pull out, draw forth" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at extract entry 1

Note: Sense 2, attested since William Caxton, is based on Middle French extracion, estration, etc., in this meaning.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing extraction

• dilation and extraction

Kids Definition

extraction

noun

ex·​trac·​tion ik-ˈstrak-shən 

1

: the act or process of extracting

2

: the origin of a person

of Italian extraction

Medical Definition

extraction

noun

ex·​trac·​tion ik-ˈstrak-shən 

: the act or process of extracting something

extraction of a tooth