noun , verb
■ noun / ˈekstrækt; NAmE /
1.
[ C ] extract (from sth) a short passage from a book, piece of music, etc. that gives you an idea of what the whole thing is like :
The following extract is taken from her new novel.
2.
[ U , C ] a substance that has been obtained from sth else using a particular process :
yeast extract
face cream containing natural plant extracts
( NAmE )
vanilla extract
—see also essence
■ verb / ɪkˈstrækt/ [ vn ] extract sth (from sb/sth)
1.
to remove or obtain a substance from sth, for example by using an industrial or a chemical process :
a machine that extracts excess moisture from the air
to extract essential oils from plants
2.
to obtain information, money, etc., often by taking it from sb who is unwilling to give it :
Journalists managed to extract all kinds of information about her private life.
3.
to choose information, etc. from a book, a computer, etc. to be used for a particular purpose :
This article is extracted from his new book.
4.
( formal or technical ) to take or pull sth out, especially when this needs force or effort :
The dentist may decide that the wisdom teeth need to be extracted.
He rifled through his briefcase and extracted a file.
5.
( formal ) to get a particular feeling or quality from a situation
SYN derive :
They are unlikely to extract much benefit from the trip.
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin extract- drawn out, from the verb extrahere , from ex- out + trahere draw.